The Lords Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is the most foundational prayer in all of Christianity, taught by Jesus himself to his disciples when they asked him how to pray (Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4). Jesus presented it not as a rote formula but as a model — a pattern covering adoration, submission to God's will, dependence on his provision, and the need for forgiveness. It is shared across virtually every Christian denomination, making it one of the few truly universal expressions of the faith. In Catholic practice it appears at Mass, in the Rosary, and in the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as in personal daily prayer. Its simplicity and depth have made it the subject of commentary by nearly every major theologian in Church history, from Tertullian and Origen to Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.