"Lord, teach us to pray..." is one of the best requests Jesus' disciples ever made to Him. Flowing from His gracious heart, Jesus gives them and us the perfect prayer that stands the test of time: the Lord's Prayer. As well-known as it is, Jesus continually shows us in this prayer what we need to unlearn and relearn, and even what we can learn anew.

Luke 11:1-2

1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

Matthew 6:9-10

9 Pray then like this:

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

For Adult Homes and Groups

1. Pray both versions of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11 and Matthew 6 aloud. 

2. Jesus prayed often, even as God’s Son. Why do you think He felt the need to teach His disciples how to pray?

3. What do you think prompts you to pray, or keeps you from praying, every day?

4. In verse 2, what is the significance of starting with “Father, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come”? What does this focus tell us about priorities in prayer?

5. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray after watching Him pray. What is it about the way others pray that inspires or challenges you?

6. Jesus gave this prayer as a model, not just a script to repeat. How can you use the framework of “Father, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come” to build your own personal, spontaneous prayers today?

7. Where is your favorite place to talk to God?

For Families with Kids

1. Pray both versions of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11 and Matthew 6 out loud.

2. What was Jesus doing when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray? Why do you think seeing Jesus pray made the disciples want to learn it too?

3. What does it mean to call God “Father”? Jesus says, “Hallowed be Your name.” This means God’s name is special and holy. How can we show God that His name is special to us?

4. When we pray “Your Kingdom come,” we are asking for things to be the way God wants them to be. What would your school or home look like if everyone followed God’s rules perfectly?

5. Where is your favorite place to talk to God?