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Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b]
    but rescue us from the evil one.[c]

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

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Footnotes

  1. 6:11 Or Give us today our food for the day; or Give us today our food for tomorrow.
  2. 6:13a Or And keep us from being tested.
  3. 6:13b Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Prayer(A)

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

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father(G) in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom(H) come,
your will be done,(I)
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.(J)
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.(K)
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a](L)
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b](M)

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.(N) 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
  2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.