Day 293 · Tuesday, October 20
"Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."MATTHEW 6:9-13
Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 293, The Prayer Pattern.
"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" Matthew 6:9-13.
The disciples asked Jesus: teach us to pray. And what He does in response is fascinating — He doesn't give them a complicated theory about prayer. He gives them a pattern. Simple, short, packed with meaning in every phrase. And the very first word already changes everything: Father.
Not "distant Lord." Not "Judge watching from far away." Father. Jesus opens the door to an intimate, familial, secure relationship — before any request, there is a relationship. And that changes the tone of everything that follows. You are not begging a stranger. You are talking to someone who loves you.
Notice the order of things. Before asking for anything for himself, Jesus teaches us to hallow God's name. "Hallowed be your name." Right prayer begins with worship, not with an urgent list of needs. It's honoring who God is before rushing to what you need.
Then comes something that challenges our natural instinct: "your kingdom come, your will be done." Before asking for anything for your own day, Jesus teaches you to submit your own plans to God's rule. That is the opposite of how we usually pray — we tend to run straight to our requests. Jesus says: wait. First, align your heart with His kingdom.
Only then comes the practical request: "give us this day our daily bread." Notice — this day. Not a whole year stored away in the freezer of self-reliance. God invites daily dependence, renewed every morning, not anxious hoarding that tries to secure tomorrow on its own.
And then comes the part that often stings the most: "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Jesus ties these two things together on purpose. It's not a coincidence, not a quirk of translation. Whoever receives God's forgiveness is called to hand that same forgiveness on. You cannot ask God for something you refuse to give your brother or sister.
My friend, this pattern isn't a magic formula to memorize and repeat without thinking. It's a map for the heart. So today I want to invite you: pray the Lord's Prayer slowly, this morning, phrase by phrase, letting each one land before moving to the next. And when you reach the part about forgiveness, stop. Think of one specific person you haven't truly forgiven yet. And choose to forgive them, right there, before you finish praying.
Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.