Objective
Students will understand the depth of the Lord’s Prayer and recognize the intimate relationship it invites us into with God as our Father.
Warm Up
Family Tree – Give each participant a sheet of paper and a pencil. Ask them to draw out their family tree as far as they know it. Most will include grandparents, cousins, and even distant family members.
Now ask them to think of the Lord’s Prayer.
- How would that change their tree?
- Who is missing from their tree? Add them in.
- What does a family look like now when the God of the universe is in the center of it?
That’s what we are saying as adopted sons and daughters of the living God.
Transition
Two thousand years later, the words of Christ are still as powerful as they were when He said them. However, we have lost some of the context. Jewish people would never assume they were children of God, even adopted ones. But Christ invites us into this radical relationship—how? Through prayer!
The Clip
Play “The Lord’s Prayer” from Season 2, Episode 7 of The Chosen.
Discuss:
- When we feel conflict inside of our mind and our heart, how does that feel? How do we make that better?
- When Jesus mentions getting the mind and the heart right in prayer, do you feel that way?
- Did the apostles look stunned when Christ told them to start by acknowledging their Father in heaven? Why?
- What part of the prayer hit you the hardest or meant the most?
- Why do you think Jesus starts with “Our Father”?
- Do you think of prayer as a conversation with your Father, or more like reciting words?
- What’s the difference between saying a prayer and praying a prayer?
Transition
Jesus didn’t just teach His followers what to pray. He also showed them how to approach the Father with hearts that were truly in the right place. What they heard that day wasn’t just new, it was revolutionary.
Bible Study
Now that we’ve seen the moment unfold, let’s look at the prayer itself. Let’s slow it down, take it line by line, and really hear what Jesus is inviting us into.
Read Matthew 6:9-15
Pray it slowly. Feel the words enter your heart. Feel your heart point to God as you say them. Reflect on each line:
Our Father in heaven
This is intimate. Jesus invites us to see God not just as Creator but as our loving Father.
Hallowed be Your name
Worship comes first. We honor who God is before asking for anything.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
This is about surrender. We’re inviting God’s rule and plan, not our own.
On earth as it is in heaven
We’re asking to live in God’s reality right now, not just someday.
Give us today our daily bread
Dependence. God cares about our physical needs, today, not just eternally.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors
This connects our need for grace with our call to extend grace.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
We’re recognizing our weakness and asking for God’s protection.
Discuss:
- What does it mean to you personally to call God “Father”?
- What’s the hardest line in this prayer for you to live out? Why?
- How do you understand “Thy will be done”? What would that look like in your life?
- Why is forgiveness such a big part of this prayer?
Wrap Up
Pray the Lord’s Prayer every day. Let it become part of your rhythm. First thing in the morning, before a big decision, or when you feel lost or anxious. Say it slowly.
Meditate on each line. When you pray, “Thy will be done,” you’re surrendering your plans to the One who knows all, sees all, and loves you more than you can imagine. That kind of surrender doesn’t make you weak, it makes you free.
Jesus didn’t give us this prayer just to memorize it. He gave it to draw us closer to the Father, to align our hearts with His. So talk to Him like a child talks to a loving parent. With honesty, trust, and boldness. Ask Him for what you need. Confess where you’ve messed up. Celebrate what He’s doing in your life.
And don’t forget what Catherine of Siena said: “God is closer to us than water is to a fish.”