How to Pray (Matthew 6:9-15)
“pray” continual command “in this way/manner”- a model to follow. Repeating it is good, as long as your mind & heart are involved.
1. To Who are we praying? (vs. 9)
a) “Our”- plurals imply the community together. “Father”- a loving, tender family relationship. One is adopted into God’s family when you put your faith in Christ (Gal. 4:5-6). We speak our Father Who is approachable & willing to do what is best for us.
b) “in heaven”- In a special way, God dwells in this place, over all that is happening on earth. His vantage point is not earth, but heaven. He doesn’t miss or lack anything.
2. What do we pray? What are the priorities? (vs. 10-13)
a) God’s Name: Our prayer requests begin with God. This gets us in the right frame of mind. “Hallowed be Your Name”- “Name” expresses the Person, His character & reputation. Our first concern should be that God be treated as holy. Be zealous for this in your life, among His people & in the world.
b) God’s Rule: “Your kingdom come”- This is ultimately asking Jesus to return to establish His kingdom (Rev. 11:15), but there is present reality of Christ, the King’s, expanding rule in people’s hearts/lives (4:17).
c) God’s Will: “Your will be done”- what God wants is what we want, even when it is clear our desires are different (Matthew 26:39,42). “on earth as it is in heaven”- probably goes with all 3 requests. In heaven He is treated as holy, He rules supremely and His will is instantly obeyed.
d) Our physical needs: “Give/daily bread”- Bread stood for food (basic needs). We are to ask God to provide for our daily physical needs. Many in Jesus audience lived day by day, not knowing how the coming days needs would be met. We presume a lot (one crisis could take everything away), but should ask God daily to meet our physical needs.
e) Our spiritual need: “forgive us our debts.” Our sins are viewed as a money debt, only spiritual. Each sin adds to our guilt & spiritual debt to Him Who made us to obey & reflect Him. We need His continual  forgiveness, to release us from these spiritual debts. Such freedom is available because of Jesus death on the cross for our sins (Eph. 1:7). Those making this request should already have forgiven (aorist) any human who has sinned against them, and therefore in spiritual debt to them.
f) Our spiritual need: “do not lead us/but deliver” God does not and cannot tempt us to sin (James 1:13).  However, He does test us (same Greek word, 1:3). The situation God might use to reveal & grow our
faith & character, could be used by the devil to entice us to sin/disobey God. “evil” could mean “evil one.” This prayer request is concerned about God keeping us from situations that would overwhelm us. We need to be steered away & rescued out of some circumstances in which we would sin.
g) Evidence indicates the doxology was not in the original mss., but Jewish prayers ended with doxologies like this one. It is a fitting doxology which ends with the focus on God.
3. Where is the struggle? (vs. 14-15)
a) Jesus elaborated on the request about forgiveness, know His followers would struggle in this area.
b) Sin is described as a transgression rather than a debt. It is a deviation from truth or uprightness in our relationships. We’ve stepped where we shouldn’t have against others. God’s forgiveness of our transgressions against Him is conditioned on us forgiving others who have transgressed against us.
c) One strong evidence a person has experience & grasped how much God has forgiven him/her, is his/her willingness to forgive others (let them go) for their smaller debts/transgressions. Unforgiving Christians still has God as their heavenly Father, but they are out of fellowship with Him. They will experience the burden & barriers of their unforgiving spirit until they forgive that other person.