Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is the prayer which Christ gave the Church. It is also called the Our Father from the first words of the prayer.

About the prayer

The event in which Christ taught the prayer to his disciples is related in Matthew 6:5-14 and Luke 11:1-4. Before this, no one dared to pray to God as their very own Father.

In the early Church, only after baptism and chrismation, was the Lord's Prayer taught to people. Only then, the faithful who have become children of God in Christ and the Holy Spirit dare to pray to God as to their very own Father. The prayer is used in many of the liturgical services, including the Divine Liturgy, in which it is introduced by the Priest, with boldness and without condemnation to dare to call upon the Heavenly God as Father and to say:

The prayer consists of seven petitions, that are asked of our Heavenly Father.

1. Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. In this petition, we beseech our Heavenly Father that His name, which is always holy in itself, be hallowed, with His blessing, both in us and through us (Matthew 5:16). The Lord is the fullness and perfection of sanctity, but we sanctify ourselves by glorifying Him.
2. Thy kingdom come. In this petition, we ask the Lord to help us and make us worthy, through His grace, of the Kingdom of Heaven which begins, as Christ Himself said, here on earth, within us. But it will only come to us in the fullness of its power when Sin ceases to hold undivided sway in us and righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) abide in us.
3. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. In this petition, we beseech God the Father that He not allow us to live out our earthly lives according to our sinful ways, but according to His will, which is always good, and acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2). By obeying the will of God, we begin to establish the Kingdom of God within ourselves.
4. Give us this day our daily bread; In this petition we beseech God to give us our daily bread, everything we need in life, spiritual as well as physical. Our spiritual bread is the grace-bestowing Sacraments of the Church, instituted for our salvation. First and foremost, our daily bread means Holy Communion, of which the Lord said: I am the bread of life...and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (John 6:48, 51). Material bread means all that is necessary for human existence, directly associated with the surrounding world. The words this day warn us against too many cares, and teaches us to ask only for what is most essential, because the Lord says: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day (Mathew 6:33-34).
5. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. In this petition the Lord teaches us how to ask forgiveness for our sins from the Heavenly Father, and how they may be forgiven. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also Who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father Who is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:25-26). Man's sins are called trespasses against God in this petition and here we beg for God's mercy. This is our confession, asking for His forgiveness. Whoever seeks forgiveness should resort to the healing power of repentance and forgive his neighbor, the trespasser. When we forgive our trespassers, then God will also forgive us our sins (Mark 4:24).
6. And lead us not into temptation, In this petition we ask of the Lord that He not allow us to fall into sin. We ask Him to preserve us from all that confuses our spirit and from temptations that are beyond our strength to reject. If we encounter on our earthly path trials and temptations sent for our purification from sin and spiritual fortification, then we ask God to send us His timely help. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (I Corinthians 10:13). For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18), St. Paul says, indicating the Helper and Accomplisher of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. But deliver us from the Evil One. In the final petition, we ask that we be protected against and saved from Evil and the Devil, who is a murderer from the beginning and works for our destruction. As St. Peter says, the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Remembering the Enemy of our salvation, the Lord urges us to be vigilant and sober of spirit, to have courage to accomplish a feat, teaches us to pray for one another, and by prayer to the Heavenly Father, to fortify ourselves spiritually and free ourselves from misfortune and disaster.

The Orthodox Church teaches that the Lord's Prayer is the unfailing model and rule for all prayers. The Church uses it in all the sacramental orders, and in all the Divine Services. As St. John Chrysostom says, it is the crown of all prayers.

Private prayer

The Lord's Prayer is undeniably the most commonly-used prayer in private and corporate settings.

Languages

Greek

Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς•

ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου,

ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου,,

γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον.

Καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,

ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν.

Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,

ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. [1]

English

Our Father, who 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 trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. [2]

Hawaiian

E ko mākou Makua i loko o ka lani,

e ho‘āno ‘ia Kou inoa.

E hiki mai Kou aupuni.

E mālama ‘ia Kou makemake ma ka honua nei,

e like me ia i mālama ‘ia ma ka lani lā.

E hā‘awi mai iā mākou i kēia lā i ‘ai na mākou no nēia lā;

a e kala mai ho‘i iā mākou i kā mākou lawehala ‘ana,

me mākou e kala nei i ka po‘e i lawehala i kā mākou;

a mai ho‘oku‘u ‘Oe iā mākou i ka ho‘owalewale ‘ia mai,

akā e ho‘opakele nō na‘e iā mākou i ka ino.

Macedonian

Оче наш, кој си на небесата,

да се свети името Твое;

да дојде царството Твое;

да биде волјата Твоја

како на небото, така и на земјата.

Лебот наш насушен дај ни го денес,

и прости ни ги долговите наши,

како што им ги проштаваме и ние на нашите должници.

И не воведувај нѐ во искушение

но избави нѐ од лукавиот.

Albanian

Ati ynë që je në qiell,

u shënjtëroftë emri yt.

arthtë mbretëria jote;

u bëftë dëshira jote, si në qiell, edhe mbi dhe.

bukën tonë të përditëshme jepna neve sot;

edhe falna fajet tona,

sikundër edhe ne ua falim fajtorëvet tanë;

edhe mos na shtjerë në ngasje,

po shpëtona nga i ligu.

Russian

Отче наш, Иже еси на небесех!

Да святится имя Твое,

да приидет Царствие Твое,

да будет воля Твоя,

яко на небеси и на земли.

Хлеб наш насущный даждь нам днесь;

и остави нам долги наша,

якоже и мы оставляем должником нашим;

и не введи нас во искушение,

но избави нас от лукаваго.

Old Church Slavonic

Оч͠е нашь ижє ѥси на н͠бсєхъ . да с͠титьсѧ имѧ

твоѥ да придєть ц͠рствиѥ твоѥ · да бѫдєть воля

твоя · яка на н͠бси и на земли хлѣбъ нашь насѫщьиыи ·

даждь намъ дьньсь · и остави намъ · длъгы

нашѧ · яко и мы оставляємъ длъжникомъ нашимъ

и нє въвєди насъ въ напасть · иъ избави ны отъ

нєприязни [яко твоѥ ѥсть ц͠рствиѥ

и сила и слава въ вѣкы]

Latin

Pater noster, qui es in caelis;

sanctificetur nomen tuum;

adveniat regnum tuum;

fiat voluntas tua,

sicut in caelo et in terra.

Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie;

et dimitte nobis debita nostra,

sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;

et ne nos inducas in tentationem;

sed libera nos a malo.

Arabic

أبانا الذي في السّماوات

ليتقدَّسِ اسمُك

ليأتِ ملكوتُك

لتكُنْ مشيئتُكَ

كما في السَّماءِ كذلكَ على الأرض

خبزَنَا الجوهريَّ أعطِنا اليوم

واترُكْ لنا ما علينا

كما نتركُ نحنُ لِمَنْ لنا عليه

ولا تُدخِلْنا في تجربة

لكن نجِّنا مِن الشرير

آمين

Japanese

External links

• The Official Translation of the Lord's Prayer adopted by the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH)
• "The Privilege to Pray the Lord's Prayer" by the Very Rev. Vladimir Berzonsky (OCA)
• "Pater Noster - The Lord's Prayer in 1441 Languages and Dialects" A Roman Catholic web site with images from the "Convent of the Pater Noster" as well as other translations of the Lord's Prayer
• Lord's Prayer at Wikipedia