Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The very first thing Jesus teaches us to pray for is not our needs, but God's name itself being honored. This shows that our primary focus should be on God's glory and holiness, setting the stage for all our other requests with the right perspective.
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus, having just taught about the dangers of hypocrisy in prayer and giving, now provides his disciples with a model prayer. This prayer isn't meant to be recited verbatim but serves as a pattern for how to approach God, beginning with reverence and acknowledging His divine nature. It establishes a foundation for all requests by first focusing on God's glory before moving to human needs.
Did Jesus intend for us to repeat these exact words every time we pray? Or is there more to it?
Jesus presents this prayer as a "model" or "pattern," not a rigid, unchangeable script. The variations in Matthew and Luke's Gospel, and the disciples' own prayers that differed from this form, suggest its purpose was to teach us how to pray – the substance, spirit, and priorities of prayer.
It's about framing our desires and requests according to God's heart and purposes, rather than just reciting words. This model prayer is a comprehensive guide, covering all legitimate desires, but not limiting us to specific phrases.
When Jesus says 'Our Father,' who is he talking about? Is it just a nice title, or something more profound?
Jesus introduces God as 'Our Father,' a concept with deep implications:
Ask a follow-up
Why does Jesus put 'Hallowed be your name' first? Shouldn't we ask for our needs before God's reputation?
The very first petition, 'Hallowed be your name,' sets the tone for all prayer. It's a desire that God's name – His very being, character, and reputation – be treated as holy by all.
This isn't about making God holy; He already is. It's a prayer that His holiness be acknowledged, revered, and honored in the world, and in our own lives. It means living and speaking in ways that reflect His true nature, and desiring that His glory be recognized above all else. This petition reminds us that God's glory is the ultimate priority, far surpassing our own immediate needs.
Understand the original words
hagiazō · Greek Verb
To hold as holy, set apart, or treat with utmost reverence; it signifies acknowledging and declaring God’s character as utterly distinct and glorious.
onoma · Greek Noun
The divine name represents God’s entire being, character, authority, and reputation as revealed to humanity.
This passage echoes the sentiment of 'hallowed be your name' with the seraphim crying out 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!' It highlights the essential holiness of God that the prayer seeks to acknowledge and promote.
1 Peter 3:15This verse speaks to the importance of 'sanctifying Christ as Lord in your hearts,' which directly relates to the prayer's request to treat God's name as holy. It connects the internal reverence with outward expression.
Malachi 1:11In contrast to the prayer's petition, this verse describes a situation where God's name is profaned among the nations ('But in every place the name of the Lord is profaned'). It underscores the significance of the prayer's plea for God's name to be honored universally.
John 12:28Jesus himself prays in a similar vein, 'Father, glorify your name.' This parallel shows that Jesus' instruction in the Lord's Prayer was not just a model for disciples but also a reflection of his own heart and practice.
Psalm 115:1-3This Psalm questions why the nations should say 'Where is their God?' and then affirms, 'Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.' This connects the idea of God's heavenly dwelling place with his sovereign power, echoing the 'Our Father in heaven' address.
barnesMatthew 6:9: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
This passage contains the Lord's prayer, a composition unequalled for comprehensiveness and for beauty. It is supposed that some of these petitions were taken from those in common use among the Jews. Indeed some of them are still to be found in Jewish writings, but they did not exist in this beautiful combination. This prayer is given as a "model." It is designed to express the "manner" in…
pulpitMatthew 6:9: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
Verses 9-13. - The pattern of prayer. Parallel passage: Luke 11:2-4. For most suggestive remarks on the Lord's Prayer, both generally and in its greater difficulties of detail, compare by all means Chase, 'The Lord's Prayer in the Early Church:' (Cambridge Texts and Studies). Observe: (1) If the prayer had already been given by the Lord in the sermon on the mount, "one of his disciples" wou…
The very first thing Jesus teaches us to pray for is not our needs, but God's name itself being honored. This shows that our primary focus should be on God's glory and holiness, setting the stage for all our other requests with the right perspective.
Jesus, having just taught about the dangers of hypocrisy in prayer and giving, now provides his disciples with a model prayer. This prayer isn't meant to be recited verbatim but serves as a pattern for how to approach God, beginning with reverence and acknowledging His divine nature. It establishes a foundation for all requests by first focusing on God's glory before moving to human needs.
Jesus, having just taught about the dangers of hypocrisy in prayer and giving, now provides his disciples with a model prayer. This prayer isn't meant to be recited verbatim but serves as a pattern for how to approach God, beginning with reverence and acknowledging His divine nature. It establishes a foundation for all requests by first focusing on God's glory before moving to human needs.
"Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name." — The very first thing Jesus teaches us to pray for is not our needs, but God's name itself being honored. This shows that our primary focus should be on God's glory and holiness, setting the stage for…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026