The Lord's Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is probably the most beloved prayer in the Christian faith, also called the Our Father in Catholicism. This is the prayer that Jesus taught his followers to pray. I’ll share the King James version with you first, and then we can break down what this means for us.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.
Now, the language of the King James translation is familiar, and also antiquated.
It’s not the way we talk today, and when we talk to God, we are invited to address him familiarly, as a child talks to their parent. Jesus said that he called God “Abba,” which doesn’t just mean “Father,” it’s the familiar form, like “Daddy.”
So let’s think about the King James translation of Jesus’ words in language we’re more comfortable with today. There are many translations available. Here’s my personal take, line by line.
Our Father which art in heaven,
Our creator and heavenly parent,
Hallowed be Thy name.
We love and honor your name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
We want our world to be as you would have it, a heaven on earth.
Give us this day our daily bread.
You sustain us and nourish us.
And forgive us our debts,
You give us a fresh start, a second chance.
as we forgive our debtors.
We learn from you how to treat each other lovingly.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Guide us away from the things that tempt us to do wrong so we can live rightly.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
You have created all things, You can do all things, You deserve all praise.
Amen.
This is so.