Line by Line Break Down Of Te Our Father

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

What does the our father teach christians about prayer?

The first message that we can extract from the Our Father with regards into the manner in which it teaches us to pray is the sense that we are his children; as the term “father” would suggest. This is of great relevance as it teaches us about the way in which we should communicate with God as through prayer we are said to create a unique bond or relationship with God. The Our Father teaches us that we can converse with God in a way that is similar to a child and father; in many instances Jesus does not refer to God as God but as Father and he does not talk in a formal manner but converses much like a father and son in conversation. This shows that we can be open in our relationship with “our father” and can ask for forgiveness or help in times of need, we can ask God for anything in our prayers as long as our intentions are right and are not to benefit ourselves in a materialistic way.

With this said we are not to devalue the name of God but should keep his name holy as stated in line two of the Our Father, “hallowed be thy name” a point which is clearly supported through the words of Jesus when dying on the cross "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The second line of the our father reminds us that God is not only a father figure but the all powerful and that his name is holy.

The third and fourth line of the our father imply that Gods kingdom is not ...

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The third and fourth line of the our father imply that Gods kingdom is not currently with us, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” These lines prove to us that location is not an issue within prayer and that and that we can pray anywhere and anytime whether it be individual or collectively, thus highlighting the importance that prayer is a moment conversing between one and God. (Matthew 6:6):"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret."

The following lines “give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses” really highlight the essence of prayer. The first of these lines is asking for Gods blessing and can be applied in many different situations and with our daily bread becoming a variable for things such as our health. The later of the sentence is the classic root of prayer, repentance and reconciliation, the fixing of broken relationships; be it with God or with others through our past actions.

The next line “as we forgive those who have trespassed against us” shows us that prayer can also be carried out in our actions and that forgiveness is a virtue. This teaches that our actions can be considered a pray and that everything we do is for God in one way or an other whether it be through forgiveness, repentance or through sheer good will.

The final two lines of the our father “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” are asking for the guidance of God and again shows the importance of conversation with the father seeking help in the form of a request. The deliverance from evil shows our every willingness to do Gods will and that we need help in doing so.

Fraser Cannon Brownlie