The Lord's Prayer is the best known prayer in the Christian religion. It is also known as the Our Father (the first two words of the prayer) and Pater noster (which is Latin for “Our Father”). It was not until the Protestant Reformation that it was called the Lord's Prayer.
The prayer is spoken in two places in the New Testament of the Bible (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4). Jesus' disciples asked him how they should pray. Jesus gave an example of how to pray to Father God.
The Bible has been translated into English several times. Therefore, there are slightly different versions that are used. The traditional and one of the best-known versions is the translation from the Book of Common Prayer (1662):
- Our Father, which art in heaven,
- hallowed be thy name;
- thy kingdom come;
- thy will be done,
- in earth as it is in heaven.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
- And forgive us our trespasses,
- as we forgive them that trespass against us.
- And lead us not into temptation,
- but deliver us from evil.
- (For thine is the kingdom,
- the power, and the glory,
- For ever and ever.)
- Amen.
- In Simple English:
- Our Heavenly Father, may your name be glorified.
- May your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- Give us our daily bread today.
- And forgive us our offenses, as we forgive those who offend us.
- And don't allow us to fall into temptation, but save us from evil.
- Because the kingdom, power and glory are yours for ever and ever.
- Amen.
- [There are many similar interpretations that could be used here; some Christians are quite particular about the exact vocabulary they use, and some are not.]
