How to Pray

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.(A) But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[a](B) When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.(C) Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.(D)

The Lord’s Prayer

“Therefore, you should pray like this: (E)

Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.(F)
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.(G)
11 Give us today our daily bread.[b]
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.(H)
13 And do not bring us into[c] temptation,(I)
but deliver us from the evil one.[d](J)

14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.(K) 15 But if you don’t forgive others,[e] your Father will not forgive your offenses.

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Footnotes

  1. 6:6 Other mss add openly
  2. 6:11 Or our necessary bread, or our bread for tomorrow
  3. 6:13 Or do not cause us to come into
  4. 6:13 Or from evil; some later mss add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  5. 6:15 Other mss add their wrongdoing

Prayer(A)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing(B) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,(C) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling(D) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.(E) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need(F) before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father(G) in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom(H) come,
your will be done,(I)
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.(J)
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.(K)
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a](L)
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b](M)

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.(N) 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
  2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.