“Father” (The Lord’s Prayer)
Lyrics: “Father”
[From Matthew 6:9-13]
Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into
Temptation,
But deliver us from
Evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
For thine is the kingdom
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever
For ever
For ever,
Amen.
Father…….
About the Song
Found in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:9-13, the Lord’s Prayer stands as Christ’s foundational blueprint for how His disciples should approach the Creator. Rather than a formula for repetitive recitation, Jesus gave this prayer as an intimate template for communion with God, instructing believers to pray "in this manner." It begins by grounding our hearts in the holiness of the Father and the ultimate authority of His heavenly kingdom, aligning our human will with His divine purposes. From that place of surrender, the prayer shifts to our daily reliance on God—asking for physical sustenance, the spiritual release of forgiveness, and divine protection from temptation and evil. It concludes with a powerful, eternal declaration of praise, returning all ultimate power and glory to the Father forever.
Scripture References & Reflections
"Our Father, / Who art in heaven,"
Isaiah 64:8 / Romans 8:15 — This opening establishes both the stunning intimacy and the absolute holiness of God. By calling Him "Father," we are reminded of our adoption into His family, yet acknowledging Him "in heaven" anchors our hearts in His supreme, transcendent authority over all creation. (See also Galatians 4:6).
"Hallowed be thy name, / Hallowed be thy name;"
Leviticus 22:32 / Philippians 2:9-10 — To "hallow" God's name is to set it apart as uniquely holy, worthy of supreme honor and reverence. This repetition acts as a declaration against the casual use of God’s identity, reorienting our souls to fear and magnify the name that is above every other name.
"Thy kingdom come, / Thy will be done / On earth as it is in heaven."
Daniel 2:44 / Matthew 26:39 — This line is a radical prayer of alignment and surrender, asking for God’s perfect, heavenly rule to break into our fractured earthly reality. It requires laying down our own agendas, echoing Christ's own agonizing surrender in Gethsemane, to desire His sovereignty above all else.
"Give us this day our daily bread"
Exodus 16:4 / 2 Corinthians 9:10 — This request mirrors the daily reliance of the Israelites gathering manna in the wilderness, training us to depend on God one day at a time. It confronts our deep anxieties about the future by anchoring our trust in a Father who faithfully provides exactly what we need for the present moment.
"And forgive us our debts / As we forgive our debtors."
Psalm 130:3-4 / Colossians 3:13 — This confession links the staggering spiritual freedom of God's grace directly to our own willingness to release others. It acknowledges the heavy spiritual "debt" we could never repay, while gently reminding us that those who have been deeply forgiven must extend that same mercy to those who hurt them.
"And lead us not into / Temptation,"
Genesis 22:1 / 1 Corinthians 10:13 — While God never entices us to sin, this plea expresses a profound awareness of human weakness and vulnerability to stray. It is a humble cry for God to shepherd our paths away from spiritual traps and situations that would test our faith beyond what we can bear. (See also James 1:13).
"But deliver us from / Evil."
Psalm 121:7 / 2 Thessalonians 3:3 — This is a direct plea for spiritual rescue from the enemy of our souls and the brokenness of the world. It shifts the burden of warfare off our own shoulders, acknowledging that ultimate rescue and safety belong solely to the protective hand of the Lord.
"For thine is the kingdom, / For thine is the kingdom / And the power, / And the glory, / For ever / For ever / For ever, / Amen. / Father……."
1 Chronicles 29:11 / Revelation 5:13 — Jesus’s prayer ends in a soaring, timeless doxology in honour of his Father, God the eternal King, that mirrors King David’s ancient praise and the eternal worship around the heavenly throne. Returning to the final whisper of "Father" reminds us that the vast Ruler of this eternal kingdom is the very same One who holds us in perfect, intimate love. It also brings us back to the One who is the focus and orientation of our daily prayers and lives, and to whom we cry, “Abba! Father”.
