PASSAGE: Matthew 6:9-13
SERIES SUMMARY
As Jesus steps onto the scene of history, Matthew paints a picture of him that invites our participation in what Jesus is doing. The portrait is that Jesus is the True King who is bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. This good news is not reserved for especially religious people in a distant future; it’s good news, right now, for ordinary people who come to Jesus in faith.
And while Jesus inaugurated the kingdom among us through teaching and serving in dozens of ways, he ultimately brought heaven to earth by embracing the cross as his throne and wearing thorns as his crown. In doing this, he broke the powers of the kingdom(s) of this world and opened up God’s new world through his resurrection. Now, because of these things, discipleship to Jesus is about praying and living “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” It is about whole-life transformation and embodying kingdom realities. It is about becoming people who naturally live out what Jesus taught. Today, because of Matthew’s witness and Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom is coming in our own lives, “on earth as it is in heaven.”
PASSAGE GUIDE
In Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus presents prayer as a simple, relational response to God rather than a religious performance. Set against the backdrop of showy and wordy prayer in Matthew 6:5–8, the Lord’s Prayer teaches that prayer is not about impressing others, manipulating outcomes, or informing God of what He does not know. It is grounded in the reality that believers come to God as children to a Father who already knows their needs. This reframes prayer from pressure and performance to intimacy, trust, and dependence.
The opening petitions direct the heart first toward God: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus teaches that prayer begins with relationship and worship before it moves to personal requests. Calling God “Father” emphasizes access, closeness, and covenant belonging, while “hallowed be your name” reorients the one praying around God’s holiness, worth, and reputation. The prayer then moves into surrender, teaching disciples to seek God’s kingdom and will above their own plans, desires, and anxieties. Before asking for anything personal, the prayer trains the heart to be aligned with God’s rule and purposes.
Only after that does Jesus teach His disciples to bring their own needs before the Father: “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is a prayer of daily dependence, not self-sufficiency or long-range control. It echoes the wilderness pattern of God providing manna one day at a time, reminding disciples that life with God is sustained through ongoing trust rather than stored-up independence. Jesus then teaches believers to pray, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” showing that prayer includes honest confession and the continual reception of God’s mercy. That mercy is meant to reshape the heart so that those who are forgiven become people who extend forgiveness to others.
The final request, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” underscores human weakness and the need for divine protection. Prayer ends not with confidence in oneself but with dependence on God’s guidance, rescue, and sustaining grace in a world marked by temptation and evil. Altogether, the Lord’s Prayer provides a pattern for kingdom prayer: relationship, worship, surrender, provision, pardon, and protection. Jesus is not merely giving words to recite, but a way to approach God as Father, beginning with His name, kingdom, and will, and then bringing every need, failure, and fear into His care.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You do not need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (Read Matthew 6:9-13)
*Remember the text is the focus, the sermon is a commentary, discuss and apply in the group.
- What did the Spirit bring to mind or highlight for you from the text (not the sermon/pastor)?
- What do you think about when you think about prayer?
- Why do you think Jesus begins with “Our Father in heaven” instead of starting with personal needs?
- What is the difference between praying “your kingdom come, your will be done” and asking God to bless your plans?
- Why do you think Jesus places God’s name, kingdom, and will before “give us this day our daily bread”?
- What does the word “debts” help us see about sin, forgiveness, and our need for grace?
- How does the link between receiving forgiveness and extending forgiveness challenge the way we usually think about relationships?
- What does “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” teach us about human weakness and spiritual danger?
- Which part of this prayer feels most natural to you right now: worship, surrender, provision, confession, or protection? Why?
- Where in your life is it hardest to sincerely pray, “your will be done”?
HIGHLIGHTS
- Family Access, Worship First, Bring Your Rule, I Step Down, Perfect Alignment, Daily Dependence, Receiving and Extending Pardon, Talk to God about God/Talk to God about You.
- Prayer is simple. It’s not performance-based but relationship-rooted: we come to our Father in worship, then trust Him for daily provision, pardon, and protection.
- In Jesus' kingdom, prayer is simple: talk to your Father about His name and kingdom, then talk to him about you.
RESOURCES