Walking with Jesus: The Lord’s Prayer

Walking with Jesus: The Lord’s Prayer

Text: Matthew 6:9–13

Title: Walking with Jesus Through the Lord’s Prayer

Theme: Prayer is not just something Jesus taught us to say; it is a way Jesus taught us to walk.

 
Scripture Reading

Jesus said:

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Introduction

There are some words in life we learn so early that we can repeat them without thinking about them.

We know the words. We know the rhythm. We know where to pause. We know when to say “Amen.” And because we know them so well, sometimes we can miss how powerful they really are.

That can happen with the Lord’s Prayer.

Many of us learned it as children. Some learned it in Sunday School. Some learned it from a parent or grandparent. Some have heard it at funerals, weddings, church services, hospital bedsides, gravesides, and in moments when there were no other words left to say.

But the Lord’s Prayer is more than a religious poem. It is more than a church tradition. It is more than something printed in the bulletin.

The Lord’s Prayer is a pattern for walking with Jesus.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, they were not merely asking for a speech. They were asking for a way to live before God. And Jesus gave them a prayer that begins with God, brings our needs before Him, deals honestly with sin, asks for protection, and ends in worship.

In other words, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us the whole journey of the Christian life.

It teaches us how to walk with God as children.
It teaches us how to honor Him as holy.
It teaches us how to surrender to His will.
It teaches us how to depend on Him daily.
It teaches us how to receive forgiveness and give forgiveness.
It teaches us how to seek His guidance and protection.
And it teaches us how to finish where we started: with the kingdom, the power, and the glory belonging to God.

So today, as we continue thinking about Walking with Jesus, I want us to walk slowly through the prayer Jesus gave us.

Not just to repeat it, but to live it.

 
1. Walking with Jesus Begins with Relationship: “Our Father which art in heaven”

Jesus begins the prayer with two simple words: Our Father.

That is where prayer begins.

Not with fear.
Not with performance.
Not with trying to impress God.
Not with a list of religious credentials.

Prayer begins with relationship.

Jesus teaches His disciples to come to God as Father.

Now, that does not mean we come carelessly. It does not mean we forget who God is. It does not mean we drag God down to our level. The very next phrase says He is “in heaven.” He is above us. He is holy. He is sovereign. He is not our buddy or our servant.

But He is Father.

That means the believer does not come to God as a stranger trying to get an appointment. We come as children approaching the Father who loves us.

That matters.

There are people who pray like they are trying to convince God to care. But Jesus teaches us that we pray because God already cares.

There are people who pray like God is reluctant. But Jesus teaches us that the Father knows what we need before we ask.

There are people who pray only when life falls apart. But Jesus teaches us that walking with God means daily fellowship with the Father.

And notice Jesus does not say, “My Father.” He says, Our Father.

That reminds us that we do not walk with Jesus alone. Christianity is personal, but it is not private. We belong to the family of God.

When I pray “Our Father,” I am reminded that I have brothers and sisters in Christ. I am reminded that the church is not a building. The church is a family. Sometimes a messy family, but still a family. And every family has a few folks who make Thanksgiving interesting.

But we are still family.

This prayer pulls us out of selfishness. It does not begin with “my needs, my plans, my problems, my wishes.” It begins with our Father.

That means prayer reorients the heart.

Before I ask God to fix my circumstances, I remember who He is.
Before I ask Him to change someone else, I remember He is Father to all His children.
Before I complain about the family of God, I remember I am part of it.

Walking with Jesus begins here: God is not distant from His children.

He is Father.

 
2. Walking with Jesus Requires Reverence: “Hallowed be thy name”

After relationship comes reverence.

“Hallowed be thy name.”

To hallow means to honor as holy. It means to set apart. It means we treat the name of God with reverence, awe, respect, and worship.

Jesus teaches us that prayer is not first about getting things from God. Prayer is first about honoring God.

That is important because we live in a casual age.

People are casual about almost everything now. Casual about commitments. Casual about truth. Casual about worship. Casual about sin. Casual about the name of God.

But Jesus says when you pray, remember who you are speaking to.

You are speaking to the Holy One.

God’s name represents His character. His nature. His reputation. His glory. His holiness. His faithfulness. His authority.

So when we pray, “Hallowed be thy name,” we are saying, “Lord, let Your name be honored in my life.”

Not just in church.
Not just in a sermon.
Not just in a song.
Not just when someone is watching.

Lord, let Your name be honored in how I speak.
Let Your name be honored in how I treat my family.
Let Your name be honored in how I handle money.
Let Your name be honored in how I forgive.
Let Your name be honored in what I post, what I watch, what I laugh at, and what I excuse.

That one line can clean house in a hurry.

Because if I pray, “Hallowed be thy name,” but I live in a way that dishonors His name, then my prayer and my walk are out of step.

Walking with Jesus means we care about the honor of the Father.

A child who loves his father cares about the family name. And a believer who loves the Lord cares about the name of God.

We should ask ourselves: Does my life make the name of Christ beautiful to others? Or does my life give people an excuse to dismiss Him?

That is not about being perfect. None of us are. But it is about being sincere.

We are not called to play church.
We are not called to wear religion like a Sunday coat.
We are called to walk with Jesus.

And walking with Jesus means reverence.

“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

 
3. Walking with Jesus Means Surrender: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done”

Now Jesus moves from reverence to surrender.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

This may be one of the hardest parts of the prayer.

It is easy to say. It is hard to live.

Because most of us are very comfortable praying, “Lord, bless my kingdom.”

Bless my plans.
Bless my schedule.
Bless my opinions.
Bless my comfort.
Bless my decisions.
Bless what I have already decided I want to do.

But Jesus does not teach us to pray, “My kingdom come.”

He teaches us to pray, Thy kingdom come.

That means I am not the king.

That is a hard truth for the human heart. We like control. We like steering the ship. We like writing the script and asking God to sign off at the bottom.

But walking with Jesus means laying down the crown.

“Thy kingdom come” means, “Lord, rule in me.”
“Thy will be done” means, “Lord, have Your way with me.”
“In earth, as it is in heaven” means, “Lord, let my life reflect Your authority the way heaven does.”

In heaven, God’s will is not debated.
In heaven, God’s will is not delayed.
In heaven, God’s will is not negotiated.
In heaven, God’s will is done fully, joyfully, and completely.

And Jesus teaches us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth that way.

Now let’s be honest. That can be painful.

Sometimes God’s will interrupts our plans.
Sometimes God’s will closes a door we wanted open.
Sometimes God’s will sends us down a road we did not choose.
Sometimes God’s will requires patience when we want answers.
Sometimes God’s will requires obedience when our flesh wants compromise.

But here is the truth: the safest place in the world is the will of God.

Not always the easiest place.
Not always the most comfortable place.
Not always the most popular place.

But always the safest place.

Jesus Himself lived this prayer.

In Gethsemane, facing the cross, He prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”

The Lord’s Prayer was not theory for Jesus. He lived it all the way to Calvary.

So when we pray, “Thy will be done,” we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

That is real discipleship.

Not just believing in Jesus.
Not just admiring Jesus.
Not just singing about Jesus.

Following Him.

Walking with Jesus means surrendering the right to be in charge.

 
4. Walking with Jesus Means Daily Dependence: “Give us this day our daily bread”

After worship and surrender, Jesus teaches us to bring our needs to the Father.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

I love the simplicity of that.

Jesus does not shame us for having needs. He does not say, “You should be too spiritual to ask for bread.” He teaches us to ask.

God cares about daily bread.

He cares about ordinary needs. Food. Shelter. Strength. Work. Provision. Health. Wisdom. Endurance. The bills on the table. The groceries in the cabinet. The gas in the tank. The strength to get through another day.

Some folks act like God is only interested in “spiritual” things. But Jesus teaches us that the Father cares about the daily needs of His children.

But notice the wording: this day and daily bread.

That is not a prayer of greed.
That is not a prayer for luxury.
That is not a prayer for showing off.
That is a prayer of dependence.

Lord, give me what I need today.

Not what I need ten years from now.
Not what I think I need to impress people.
Not what my neighbor has.
Not what my flesh craves.

Give me today’s bread.

This reminds us of Israel in the wilderness. God gave manna day by day. They had to trust Him every morning. They could not store up tomorrow’s obedience. They had to walk with God daily.

And that is still how the Christian life works.

You cannot live today on yesterday’s prayer.
You cannot walk with Jesus today on last month’s devotion.
You cannot feed your soul forever on a memory of what God did years ago.

Thank God for yesterday’s manna, but you need daily bread.

Some of us are trying to survive spiritually on leftovers.

We need fresh time with God.
Fresh trust.
Fresh obedience.
Fresh mercy.
Fresh strength.

And Jesus says, ask the Father.

This line also teaches humility.

Every bite of bread is a gift. Every breath is mercy. Every sunrise is grace.

We may work. We may plan. We may save. We may labor. And we should. But underneath it all, God is the provider.

The farmer plants, but God sends the rain.
The worker earns, but God gives strength.
The doctor treats, but God gives life.
The preacher studies, but God gives the Word its power.

“Give us this day our daily bread” keeps us humble.

It reminds us that we are not self-made people. We are God-sustained people.

Walking with Jesus means learning to trust the Father one day at a time.

Not a week at a time.
Not a year at a time.
One day at a time.

And for some of us, that is exactly what we need to hear.

God may not show you the whole road today. But He will give you bread for today’s journey.

 
5. Walking with Jesus Means Receiving and Giving Forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”

Now Jesus brings us to one of the most serious lines in the prayer.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Prayer is not only about provision. It is also about confession.

Jesus assumes that His disciples will need forgiveness.

That should humble us.

Even those walking with Jesus still need to say, “Father, forgive me.”

We still stumble.
We still speak too quickly.
We still think wrongly.
We still fail to love as we should.
We still leave undone things God told us to do.
We still need grace.

The Christian life is not a life of pretending we have no sin. It is a life of bringing our sin into the light before the Father.

But Jesus does not stop with receiving forgiveness.

He says, “as we forgive our debtors.”

That means forgiven people are called to be forgiving people.

Now let’s be honest: forgiveness is not always easy.

Some wounds run deep. Some betrayals are real. Some losses cannot be brushed aside with a religious slogan. Jesus is not asking us to pretend evil was not evil. He is not asking us to call wrong right. He is not asking us to deny pain.

Forgiveness does not mean the offense did not matter.
Forgiveness does not mean trust is instantly restored.
Forgiveness does not mean there are no consequences.
Forgiveness does not mean wisdom disappears.

But forgiveness does mean we release the debt into the hands of God.

We stop demanding to be judge, jury, and executioner.

Why? Because we ourselves have been forgiven.

At the foot of the cross, none of us stand as superior people. We stand as sinners saved by grace.

The man who knows he has been forgiven much should be careful about refusing mercy to others.

That is not soft. That is Christianity.

Jesus ties our prayer life to our forgiveness life.

That means bitterness can clog the soul. Resentment can poison worship. An unforgiving spirit can make us religious on the outside and rotten on the inside.

You can sing with bitterness.
You can serve with bitterness.
You can preach with bitterness.
You can sit in church with bitterness.

But you cannot walk closely with Jesus while clinging to bitterness.

At some point, Jesus will put His finger on it and say, “Give that to Me.”

Somebody here may need that today.

You have carried it long enough.
You have replayed it long enough.
You have let it shape your spirit long enough.

Forgiveness may not change what happened behind you, but it will change what happens inside you.

Walking with Jesus means we live as people who have been forgiven and who are learning to forgive.

 
6. Walking with Jesus Means Seeking Guidance and Protection: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”

Jesus then teaches us to pray:

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This is a prayer of humility.

It admits that we are not strong enough on our own.

A proud person says, “I can handle it.”
A wise person says, “Lord, keep me.”

A proud person says, “That would never happen to me.”
A wise person says, “Lord, deliver me from evil.”

One of the most dangerous moments in the Christian life is when we start believing we are beyond temptation.

That is when we become careless.

Careless with our words.
Careless with our eyes.
Careless with our attitudes.
Careless with our relationships.
Careless with our private life.
Careless with our soul.

Jesus teaches us to pray like people who know we need help.

“Lord, don’t let me walk into what will destroy me. Don’t let me drift into what will weaken me. Don’t let me play around with what nailed You to the cross.”

That is a prayer we need every day.

Because temptation rarely announces itself honestly.

Temptation does not usually say, “I am here to ruin your life.”
It says, “You deserve this.”
It says, “Just this once.”
It says, “Nobody will know.”
It says, “You can stop anytime.”
It says, “This is not that big of a deal.”

But sin always takes more than it gives.

Walking with Jesus means we stop trusting ourselves and start trusting the Shepherd.

Sheep need a shepherd not because they are impressive, but because they wander.

And we wander too.

So we pray, “Lead us.”

That means we want God’s direction.

Lord, lead my steps.
Lead my thoughts.
Lead my decisions.
Lead my family.
Lead my ministry.
Lead my words.
Lead me away from temptation and toward righteousness.

And then we pray, “Deliver us from evil.”

There is evil in this world. Real evil. Spiritual evil. Moral evil. Evil that destroys homes, churches, communities, and souls.

But our Father is greater.

Jesus does not teach us to obsess over evil. He teaches us to ask the Father for deliverance.

We do not walk through this world alone.
We do not face darkness alone.
We do not fight temptation alone.

The same Jesus who taught us to pray also walks with us through the battle.

 
7. Walking with Jesus Ends in Worship: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The prayer ends where all prayer should end: with God.

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

That is a declaration of confidence.

The kingdom belongs to God.
The power belongs to God.
The glory belongs to God.

Not just for a season.
Not just when things are going well.
Not just when the prayers are answered the way we hoped.

Forever.

This closing reminds us that our lives are held by a God who reigns.

The world may look chaotic, but God has not surrendered His throne.
The culture may shift, but God has not changed.
The enemy may rage, but God has not lost power.
Our bodies may weaken, but God’s glory does not fade.
Our circumstances may confuse us, but God’s kingdom still stands.

That is why we can say, “Amen.”

Amen means, “So be it.”
It is the word of faith.
It is the word of trust.
It is the word of surrender.

When we say “Amen,” we are not just ending a prayer. We are placing the matter in God’s hands.

Lord, You are Father. Amen.
Lord, Your name is holy. Amen.
Lord, Your kingdom come. Amen.
Lord, Your will be done. Amen.
Lord, give us today’s bread. Amen.
Lord, forgive us and help us forgive. Amen.
Lord, lead us and deliver us. Amen.
Lord, Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory forever. Amen.

That is how we walk with Jesus.

 
Application: The Lord’s Prayer as a Daily Walk

So how do we take this prayer from the page into our lives?

Let me give you a simple way to walk through it each day.

When you wake up, begin with relationship:
“Father, I belong to You today.”

Then move to reverence:
“Lord, let Your name be honored in my life today.”

Then surrender:
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done in my decisions today.”

Then dependence:
“Give me what I need for today.”

Then confession:
“Forgive me where I have sinned.”

Then forgiveness:
“Help me release those who have sinned against me.”

Then guidance:
“Lead me away from temptation.”

Then protection:
“Deliver me from evil.”

Then worship:
“Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.”

That is not just a prayer to recite. That is a path to walk.

And if we walked that path daily, it would change us.

It would change our homes.
It would change our churches.
It would change our attitudes.
It would change our witness.
It would change how we handle pressure.
It would change how we respond to people.
It would change how we face trouble.

Because the Lord’s Prayer brings us back to the Lord Himself.

 
Closing

The disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

They did not ask for a lecture on prayer. They asked to be taught.

And Jesus, in His mercy, gave them words simple enough for a child to learn and deep enough for a saint to spend a lifetime living.

The Lord’s Prayer is not a decoration for religious life. It is the foundation of a God-centered life.

It starts with the Father.
It honors His name.
It seeks His kingdom.
It surrenders to His will.
It trusts Him for bread.
It receives and gives forgiveness.
It asks for guidance and deliverance.
It ends in worship.

That is the road.

And Jesus does not merely point to the road. He walks it with us.

So today, maybe the call is simple.

Come back to the Father.
Honor His name again.
Lay down your little kingdom.
Trust Him for today’s bread.
Ask Him for forgiveness.
Release the bitterness.
Seek His guidance.
Trust His protection.
Give Him the glory.

Walking with Jesus is not complicated.

It is daily.
It is humble.
It is surrendered.
It is prayerful.

And it begins again with these words:

“Our Father.”

Invitation

Maybe today you need to come to God as Father for the first time. That only happens through Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God who died for our sins, rose again, and opened the way for sinners to be reconciled to the Father.

Maybe today you are already saved, but your prayer life has grown cold. The words are familiar, but the walk has become distant.

Maybe today you need to surrender your will.

Maybe today you need to forgive someone.

Maybe today you need to ask God to deliver you from something that has been pulling at your soul.

Wherever you are, the Father is not far away.

Jesus taught us to pray because God invites us to come.

So come.

In Jesus name

ray