Chapter XXIV: The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is so-called because it was given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. [Matt. 6:9-13, Luke 11:1-4] It teaches us how to pray aright, and is the model after which we should fashion all our prayers. It shows us the manner in which we should come to God, and the things for which we should ask.

ITS CONTENTS. The Lord's Prayer contains an Introduction, Seven Petitions, and a Conclusion. The first three petitions regard God's glory, and deal with His Name, His Kingdom, and His Will; the last four regard our bodily and spiritual needs, and deal with our Daily Bread, Forgiveness, Temptation, and Deliverance from Evil. Six petitions, the first three and the last three, refer to spiritual gifts; and only one, the fourth, refers to earthly gifts. Thus we are taught that, when we pray, we should think first of God's glory; and that we should pray more for spiritual than for temporal benefits.