In
praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:7-11
Matthew 6 [1.] “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6 [5.] “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Matthew 6 [14.] “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Meaning:
Jesus has warned against praying to be seen by people (Matthew 6:5). Now he warns against a second error: thinking that many words will move God. Then he gives his disciples a model prayer. These verses contain the first half of the Lord’s Prayer, which turns our attention first to God’s name, Kingdom and will, and then to our daily needs. The prayer continues with requests for forgiveness and deliverance (Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:13).
- “Don’t use vain repetitions”
The Gentiles of Jesus’ day often heaped up the names and titles of their gods, hoping that the right formula or sheer quantity would win a hearing. The prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel “called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, ‘Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice, and nobody answered” (1 Kings 18:26). Jesus does not forbid persistent prayer, which he encouraged elsewhere (Matthew 7:7-8), but empty words spoken as if God could be pressured or worn down.
- “Your Father knows what things you need”
Prayer is not informing God of something he does not know. It is the trust of a child speaking to a loving Father. Jesus repeats this assurance later: “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32). Because the Father already knows, we can pray simply and honestly.
- “Our Father in heaven”
Jesus invites his disciples to address God as Father, the way he himself prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you” (Mark 14:36). Through the Spirit believers share that relationship: “you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). “Our” reminds us that we pray as members of a family. “In heaven” reminds us that this Father is the sovereign and holy Lord. The psalmist joins both truths: “Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).
- “May your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come.”
God’s name stands for his character and reputation. To pray that it be kept holy is to ask that God be honored as holy by all people, beginning with ourselves. The seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies!” (Isaiah 6:3). The prayer for the Kingdom asks God to establish his rule fully, in hearts now and in all creation when Christ returns.
- “Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth”
In heaven God’s will is done perfectly and joyfully. The disciple asks that the same be true on earth, including in his own life. Jesus prayed this way in Gethsemane: “not what I desire, but what you desire” (Mark 14:36).
- “Give us today our daily bread”
Only after God’s honor comes a request for ourselves. Bread stands for all that we need to live. The request is modest, for today, recalling the manna that Israel gathered as “a day’s portion every day” (Exodus 16:4). It teaches daily dependence and contentment. Luke’s version reads, “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). Jesus also offers more than physical bread: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry” (John 6:35).
The Significance of Matthew 6:7-11
- Prayer that puts God first
The order of the Lord’s Prayer reshapes our priorities. We begin with God’s name, Kingdom and will before our own needs, which keeps prayer from becoming a wish list.
- Simple, trusting prayer
Because God is our Father and already knows our needs, we do not need impressive words. Short, honest and regular prayer, offered in faith, pleases him. Praying the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully, phrase by phrase, is a good school for all our praying.
Cross-References:
Luke 11:2: "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come." Luke’s form of the prayer.
1 Kings 18:26: "saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered." Many words, no answer.
Romans 8:15: "you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”" Calling God Father.
Conclusion: In Matthew 6:7-11 Jesus teaches his disciples not to pile up empty words, because their Father already knows what they need. He gives them a model prayer that begins with God’s name, Kingdom and will, and then asks simply for daily bread. The passage invites us to pray as trusting children, putting God first and depending on him one day at a time.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible