
The Art Pastor’s Guide to the Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. Each version is slightly different, but they can both be divided into sections, which are traditionally called petitions (which means requests).
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew’s version of the prayer happens in the context of the Sermon on the Mount.
Luke 11:1-4
Luke’s version is a scene that takes place during the Travel Narratives of Luke in chapters 10-19.


Here is my illustrated guide to the Lord’s Prayer. Enjoy!






Jesus spoke to God like a child speaks to a loving parent. Prayer is nothing more than talking to God. We don’t have to babble on or beg to get God’s attention. God is always present.
Jesus called God “Father,” but that does not mean God is male. God is neither male nor female, but is the creator of humanity who was created male and female in God’s image. We can just as easily, and accurately, call God mother as we can father. The point is that God is loving, caring, and present like a good parent.
One big question of theology is: “Where is Heaven?” I believe that Jesus taught us that Heaven was less about a location and more about a way of being present in the world. We can either live in the kingdom of this world system which is based on greed and power, or we can live in the kingdom of Heaven which is based upon God’s other-oriented love which seeks to renew all things.
The first petition does not ask God for something, but asks something of us. It reminds us that God is the author of this life and it is from God and for God that all things exist. Our first priority in life is to bring honor to God’s name by how we represent God in our daily living.
What is the “Kingdom of God” and How can it be on earth as it is in Heaven?

Mark 1:15

This drawing comes from my notes on Tripp Fuller’s book The Homebrewed Guide to Jesus, chapter 3.
The second and third petitions beg a question. How does God’s will interact with our will?
God does not have a master PLAN mapped out for the universe, as if it were a script that we are destined to enact. Rather, God has a PROMISE to redeem all things as God works with us in our process of growth.
In the first half of the prayer, we position ourselves correctly in relation to God, our loving heavenly parent from whom and for whom all things flow.
In the second half of the prayer, we ask for the things we need, assured that God desires to provide them for us.
We have three basic needs as humans:
- Physical Food. Our prayer is that we have the provisions we need to physically survive for today. No more, no less.
- Spiritual Food. Forgiveness is the basis of our spiritual life. We are sinners and saints. As beloved children of God we mess up all the time and need to continually forgive and be forgiven in order to be healthy.
- Protection. We need to be protected from the evil that we might commit (temptation) and from the evil that might be done to us (deliverance).

Read this sermon on daily bread.
Read this post on Contentment and Daily Bread from Proverbs 30:8-9.

read this post about the Power of Forgiveness.



