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   And 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. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

   This is how you should pray: Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one Matthew 6:5-13 NIV.

   The Lord's prayer is the most perfect model prayer, it was spoken by Jesus himself. We can now say Father again because Jesus has made us nigh by his shed blood on the cross, we are his people again. Heaven is a literal place and the word of God says eternity is set in our hearts.. When we say "hallowed be thy name", we are asking that God's name will be sanctified by us and in us. Thy kingdom come, refers to the final coming of the reign of Christ. We pray for the growth of the kingdom in our own lives and in every nation. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, means we ask for the will of God to be done and fully realized on earth as it is already in heaven. By praying, worshiping and speaking the word of God, we can discern "what is the will of God" and obtain the strength and endurance to do it. Give us this day our daily bread, we are praying for our earthly nourishment and our spiritual "bread of life" to feed upon on a daily basis, which is Jesus and his word. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgiveness is mandatory! We are to forgive each other and forgive ourselves in order for our heavenly Father to forgive us. Matthew 6:14 NIV reads, For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. We need to forgive from the heart, even our enemies. How often should you forgive? You forgive every time some one wrongs or sin against you!

   And lead us not into temptation: We are asking God not to take the path of least resistance or the pathway of sin. We are asking for discernment to know good from bad. Galatians 5:16 NIV So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. But deliver us from evil. The last petition to our Father is also included in Jesus' prayer: "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one" John 17:15. When we ask to be delivered from the evil one, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past and future. THE LORD'S PRAYER COVERS ALL THAT PERTAINS TO LIFE ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN.