Read Matthew 6:5-14

 On Sundays we'll walk through events in the life of Jesus Christ found in the four Gospels.

Read Matthew 6:5-14

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing 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, 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 like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:

"'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.'

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Reflect

Jesus gives some instructions about attitudes toward prayer and then proceeds to give his followers the most famous Christian prayer ever, what's come to be known as the Lord's Prayer. Look back at each line of the prayer, and see how the whole prayer fits together, how each line relates to the next.

Respond

Return one more time to the prayer. Speak the words to God, slowly and deliberately, as your own. Stop to dwell on and expand each part with your own words to God.