Concerning Prayer

⁵ ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ ‘Pray then in this way:Our Father in heaven,   hallowed be your name.¹⁰   Your kingdom come.   Your will be done,     on earth as it is in heaven.¹¹   Give us this day our daily bread. ¹²   And forgive us our debts,     as we also have forgiven our debtors.¹³   And do not bring us to the time of trial,      but rescue us from the evil one. ¹⁴For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;¹⁵but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The Lord’s Prayer

¹¹He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’²He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:Father, hallowed be your name.   Your kingdom come. ³   Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴   And forgive us our sins,     for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.   And do not bring us to the time of trial.’