Free printable Bible study · Matthew 6:5-15
Prayer Bible study
A Bible study on prayer for small groups and personal study, built on the prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6:5-15. Use the four sessions, or the one-session path if you only have an evening.
4 sessions or 1 · Personal study or small groups · No signup required
The short answer
What does the Bible teach about prayer?
When his disciples asked how to pray, Jesus gave them a short prayer, now called the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). It starts with God: his name, his kingdom and his will. Then it asks for daily bread, forgiveness and rescue from evil. Around it Jesus warns against praying to be seen or piling up words, and he tells his followers to keep asking a Father who wants to give.
Read it first
Matthew 6:5-15
5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’ 14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.
Background
The context of Matthew 6:5-15
Where the prayer sits in Matthew
The Lord's Prayer is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 to 7). Tyndale's study notes say that in the sermon "Jesus summarizes the requirements of discipleship." Chapter 6 opens with three things devout Jews did: giving to the poor, praying and fasting (6:1-18). Jesus does not cancel any of them. He changes who they are for.
Each one comes with the same contrast. The hypocrites do it "to be seen by men" and "already have their full reward." The disciple does it in secret, and "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (6:4, 6:6, 6:18). The prayer itself arrives as the answer to a bad habit: "do not babble on like pagans" (6:7).
Two versions of the prayer
Luke gives a shorter form, and a different setting. There a disciple watches Jesus pray and asks him to teach them, "just as John taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1). Many scholars think Jesus taught the prayer more than once, in more than one form. Either way, the two versions show it was given as a pattern as well as a set of words. Matthew introduces it with "this is how you should pray" (6:9).
One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’”
Luke 11:1-4
Praying to a Father
Jews in Jesus' day kept set hours of prayer through the day, as the Bible dictionary entry on prayer notes. Jesus does not abolish set prayers. He gives one. What he stresses is the relationship. "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him" (6:8), so prayer is not a way to inform God or wear him down.
Luke follows the prayer with a story about a friend at midnight and a promise. Keep asking, Jesus says, because a good father gives good gifts. In verse 13 the gift he names is the Holy Spirit.
So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10
When we do not know what to say
The Lord's Prayer is short. Paul admits that sometimes believers do not know what to pray at all, and he says the Spirit helps them. Christians have leaned on both: words Jesus gave, and a Spirit who prays when words run out.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
Matthew 6:5-15
The prayer, line by line
The prayer has two halves. The first three requests are about God. The last three are about us. Jesus then comments on one line, the one about forgiveness.
6:9 · Who we pray to
Our Father in heaven
The prayer opens with a family word. "Our" means it is prayed with others, even when it is prayed alone. "In heaven" keeps the closeness from turning casual: this Father is also the Lord over all. Jesus has already said "your Father" five times in 6:1-8.
6:9 · God's honor
Hallowed be your name
To hallow is to treat as holy. In the Bible a name stands for the person, so this asks that God would be known and honored for who he is. Most readers take it as both a request and a commitment. We ask God to show his holiness, and we ask to honor his name in how we live.
6:10 · God's rule
Your kingdom come, your will be done
Tyndale's notes on Matthew say "Kingdom of Heaven" is "a roundabout way for Jews to say 'Kingdom of God.'" Jesus announced that kingdom as near (4:17). The prayer asks for it to come in full and for God's will to be done here as it already is in heaven. Jesus prayed the same words of surrender in Gethsemane (26:42).
6:11 · What we need
Give us this day our daily bread
The Greek word translated "daily" is rare, and it may mean bread for today or bread for the coming day. Either way it is a small request, for enough. Many readers also hear an echo of the manna in the wilderness, given one day at a time (Exodus 16). Later in the chapter Jesus tells his followers not to worry about tomorrow (6:34).
6:12 · Forgiveness
Forgive us our debts
Matthew's word is "debts". Luke's version says "sins" (Luke 11:4). Sin is pictured as something owed to God that we cannot pay. The request is tied to how we treat others: "as we also have forgiven our debtors." Jesus tells a whole parable about a forgiven debtor who refuses to forgive (Matthew 18:21-35).
6:13 · Protection
Lead us not into temptation
The word for temptation can also mean testing or trial. James 1:13 says God tempts no one, so most readers take this as a plea to be kept from the kind of trial that would overwhelm us. "Deliver us from the evil one" can also be translated "from evil". The BSB chooses the personal reading.
6:14-15 · The line Jesus explains
Forgive, and be forgiven
Jesus adds one comment after the prayer, and he picks the line about forgiving others. This does not mean forgiveness can be earned by forgiving. The prayer starts with grace from a Father. It means a person who has been forgiven, and who refuses to forgive, has not understood what they received.
Bible study · 4 sessions
Prayer study questions
Read the passage aloud at the start of each session. Each one takes about 45 minutes. Only have one evening? Use the one-session path below the four.
Session 1 · Matthew 6:5-8
Pray to your Father in secret
See what Jesus warns against, and who prayer is for.
Also read: Matthew 6:1-4; Matthew 6:16-18; Luke 18:9-14
Observe What does the text say?
- Jesus describes two wrong ways to pray in verses 5 to 8. What are they, and who does each one?
- Read 6:1-4 and 6:16-18. What pattern repeats across giving, praying and fasting?
Interpret What did it mean then?
- What reward do the hypocrites get? What reward does the Father give?
- If the Father knows what we need before we ask (6:8), why pray at all?
- Does the "inner room" rule out praying together? Look at how the prayer itself begins with "our".
Apply What does it mean for us?
- Where are you tempted to pray, or to sound spiritual, for an audience?
- Where and when could you have an "inner room" this week? Be specific.
Session 2 · Matthew 6:9-10
Your name, your kingdom, your will
See why the prayer starts with God before it gets to us.
Also read: Luke 11:1-2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 26:36-42
Observe What does the text say?
- List the first three requests. Whose name, kingdom and will are they about?
- Compare Luke 11:2. What is the same, and what is shorter?
Interpret What did it mean then?
- What does it mean to call God "Father" and "in heaven" in the same breath?
- In Matthew 4:17 Jesus says the kingdom is near. Why would he teach his followers to keep asking for it to come?
- Read Matthew 26:36-42. How does Jesus pray "your will be done" when it costs him?
Apply What does it mean for us?
- How much of your praying starts with God, and how much starts with your list?
- Where do you find it hardest to pray "your will be done" right now?
Session 3 · Matthew 6:11-15
Bread, forgiveness and rescue
See what Jesus teaches us to ask for ourselves, and why forgiveness gets the extra word.
Also read: Exodus 16:4; Matthew 18:21-35; James 1:13-14
Observe What does the text say?
- List the three requests in verses 11 to 13. How big is each one?
- Which request does Jesus explain in verses 14 and 15?
Interpret What did it mean then?
- Read Exodus 16:4. What might asking for bread one day at a time teach?
- Read Matthew 18:21-35. How does the parable help explain 6:14-15? Does it mean forgiveness is earned?
- James 1:13 says God tempts no one. What, then, are we asking in "lead us not into temptation"?
Apply What does it mean for us?
- Is there someone you need to forgive before you can pray this line honestly? You do not need to say who.
- What trial or temptation would you ask the group to pray about with you this week?
Session 4 · Luke 11:5-13
Ask, seek, knock
See why Jesus tells his followers to keep asking, and what the Father gives.
Also read: Luke 18:1-8; Psalm 13; Philippians 4:4-7
Observe What does the text say?
- In the story of the friend at midnight, why does the man finally get up?
- What gift does the Father give in verse 13?
Interpret What did it mean then?
- Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater: "how much more". What is he saying about God?
- Read Psalm 13. How does an honest complaint fit with persistent, trusting prayer?
- Does "everyone who asks receives" mean we always get what we ask for? Use the gift in verse 13 to answer.
Apply What does it mean for us?
- What have you stopped asking God for? Why did you stop?
- Close by praying the Lord's Prayer together slowly, pausing after each line for the group to add their own requests.
One-session path · 45 to 60 minutes
The Lord's Prayer in one evening
Read all of Matthew 6:5-15 aloud, then work through these in order.
Observe What does the text say?
- What two wrong ways to pray does Jesus describe in verses 5 to 8?
- Split the prayer in verses 9 to 13 into two halves. What is each half about?
- Which line does Jesus explain afterward, in verses 14 and 15?
Interpret What did it mean then?
- Why might the prayer put God's name, kingdom and will before our bread?
- If the Father already knows what we need (6:8), what is prayer for?
- How can forgiving others be tied to being forgiven without becoming a way to earn it?
Apply What does it mean for us?
- Which line of the prayer is hardest for you to mean right now?
- Close by praying the Lord's Prayer together slowly, pausing after each line for the group to add their own requests.
Interpretation
Where Christians read it differently
Debts or trespasses?
Matthew's word is "debts" (6:12) and Luke's is "sins" (Luke 11:4). Many churches say "trespasses", the word older English prayer books used, which also matches Jesus' comment in Matthew 6:14-15. All three name the same thing: wrongs we cannot repay. The difference is a matter of custom, not of meaning.
What about "For Yours is the kingdom"?
Many churches end the prayer with words of praise to God's kingdom, power and glory. Those words are absent from the earliest manuscripts of Matthew and Luke, which is why most modern translations, the BSB included, do not print them in the text. Christians were praying a form of that ending very early, and it fits Scripture's own praise of God (1 Chronicles 29:11). Saying it is fine. It is best understood as the church's response rather than as Jesus' words in Matthew.
Is it a prayer to recite or a pattern to follow?
Both have long support. Matthew says "this is how you should pray," which sounds like a pattern, while Luke has "when you pray, say", which sounds like words to use. Many churches pray it word for word every week. Many Christians also use its order to shape their own prayers. Jesus' warning in 6:7 applies to both: the words are not a technique.
Does God always give what we ask?
Jesus says "everyone who asks receives" (Luke 11:10). In the same breath he says the Father gives "good gifts" and names the Holy Spirit. Most Christians read the promise as a promise about the Father's goodness, not a guarantee of the outcome we wanted. Jesus himself asked for the cup to pass and then prayed "your will be done" (Matthew 26:39-42). Unanswered prayer is not proof that someone lacked faith.
Keep studying
- Matthew Bible study guide, the whole Gospel in 6 sessions.
- Matthew commentary: author, date, setting and message.
- What the Bible says about prayer
- What the Bible says about forgiveness and reconciliation
In the Bible dictionary
Sources and licensing
- Berean Standard Bible
Berean Bible. Scripture text of Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 11:1-4 and 11:9-10, and Romans 8:26-27. Public domain.
- Tyndale Open Study Notes, Matthew
Tyndale House Publishers. Background on the Sermon on the Mount and the Kingdom of Heaven, quoted with attribution. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898): Prayer
James Hastings. Set hours of prayer among Jews in Jesus' day. Public domain.
- Protos study editorial
Protos. Study structure, questions, leader notes and summaries. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Edition 2026.1. This study is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. You may copy, print, adapt, and share it with attribution under the same license.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible teach about prayer?
Jesus taught that prayer is speaking to a Father who already knows what we need, so it is not a performance or a way to wear God down (Matthew 6:5-8). He gave the Lord's Prayer as a pattern: honor God's name, ask for his kingdom and will, then ask for daily bread, forgiveness and rescue from evil. He also told his followers to keep asking (Luke 11:9-13).
Where is the Lord's Prayer in the Bible?
Matthew 6:9-13, in the Sermon on the Mount, and Luke 11:2-4, where a disciple asks Jesus to teach them to pray. Luke's version is shorter.
Why do some say "debts" and others "trespasses"?
Matthew's text says "debts" and Luke's says "sins". "Trespasses" comes from older English prayer books and matches the word in Jesus' comment in Matthew 6:14-15. All three mean the same thing.
Is "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory" in the Bible?
Those words are absent from the earliest manuscripts of Matthew, so most modern translations do not print them in the text. Christians were praying a form of the ending very early, and many churches still close the prayer with it.
How long does this prayer Bible study take?
Four sessions of about 45 minutes. If you only have one meeting, use the one-session path, which takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Is this Bible study on prayer free?
Yes. Read it online, download the PDF, or print a copy. No account, email, or purchase is required.
Can a church use this study?
Yes. You may print, share, and adapt it with attribution under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
