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. I assure you: They’ve got 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 idolaters,[b] 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 Model 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.[c]
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.(H)
13 And do not bring us into[d] temptation,(I)
but deliver us from the evil one.[e](J)
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.][f]

14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,[g] your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.(K) 15 But if you don’t forgive people,[h] your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:6 Other mss add openly
  2. Matthew 6:7 Or Gentiles, or nations, or heathen, or pagans
  3. Matthew 6:11 Or our necessary bread, or our bread for tomorrow
  4. Matthew 6:13 Or do not cause us to come into
  5. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil
  6. Matthew 6:13 Other mss omit bracketed text
  7. Matthew 6:14 Or trespasses
  8. Matthew 6:15 Other mss add their wrongdoing
  9. Matthew 6:15 Or trespasses

Teaching about Prayer(A)

“And whenever you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. I tell all of you[a] with certainty, they have their full reward! But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you.[b]

“When you are praying, don’t say meaningless things[c] like the unbelievers[d] do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Therefore, this is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
10 May your kingdom come.
    May your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our sins,[e]
    as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.[f]
13 And never bring us into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’[g]

14 Because if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive people their offenses,[h] your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:5 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  2. Matthew 6:6 Other mss. read reward you openly
  3. Matthew 6:7 Or words
  4. Matthew 6:7 Lit. gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
  5. Matthew 6:12 Or debts
  6. Matthew 6:12 Or forgiven our debtors
  7. Matthew 6:13 Other mss. read evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  8. Matthew 6:15 Other mss. lack their offenses