The Lord's Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father

Christian Essentials Series

by Wesley Hill

You pray it. But do you understand it?

The Lord's Prayer has become so familiar to us that we don't think about what we're praying. It's a portrait of Jesus' heart. And in it Christians from different times, places, and traditions have been united. We pray it, but do we actually believe it?

When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he emphasized how uncomplicated it should be. There's no need for pretense or theatrics. Instead, simply ask for what you need as though you were speaking with your earthly father. This opens a window into Jesus' prayer life and presents us with a portrait of his heart for his followers.

Wesley Hill re-introduces the Lord's Prayer. He shows us a God who is delighted to hear prayer. Petition by petition, in conversation with the Christian tradition, he draws out the significance of Jesus' words for prayer today.

Genres: Theology, Prayer, Christian Living, Christian, Nonfiction, Devotional, Christianity

120 pages, Hardcover

Published November 6, 2019

About the author

Wesley Hill (PhD, University of Durham) is assistant professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and author of the much-discussed book Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. He is on the editorial board of and is a columnist for Christianity Today. He also contributes to Books & Culture and First Things.

Reviews

[David S Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this today if today is a rough day

There’s much you could say about this book, and all of it is impressive given how short it is. But what Wesley has done here is so helpful for the church.

He breaks down the Our Father into its relevant petitions and then discusses meaning, application and relevant related theological issues. He does it in a way befitting his scholarship but also pastoral heart. If you’re interested in studying the Lord’s Prayer or understanding it a little bit better, then this is a good book for you.

But here’s another angle. Maybe, like me, you’ve prayed the Lord’s Prayer for many years and the words are semi-permanently inscribed in your brain. But remember that remembering and knowing is not the same. As I read this book as the world is in pandemic and at the edge of possible war it became apparent to me how much I forget what this prayer teaches me. Honestly, stop doomscrolling and read this. And if you can’t stop doomscrolling, have this book nearby to read afterwards.

I promise you it will help.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful little exposition of the Lords Prayer.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but helpful overview of the Lord’s Prayer. A perfect read on a silent retreat. (8.5/10)

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Lord's Prayer" by Wesley Hill is a welcome evangelical take on the Lord's Prayer.

Hill shows us the relevance of this ancient prayer for modern life and why we ought to take this prayer on our own lips regularly. I was encouraged throughout this small book to turn my thoughts towards God. Perhaps because this volume seems to be an extended meditation on hollowing the Lord's name through the rest of the prayer.

As an aside I found Hill's application through this slender volume to be poignant. He consistently touches on culture flashpoints without being a gadfly or for the sake shock value. But, to show how pressing it is that we experience the Lord's prayer in our daily life.

Another aspect of his work that I found to be edifying was the breadth of interaction that he displays with the Christian tradition. This isn't a tribal book and it could be handed to anyone.

Overall I'd highly recommend this primer on the Lord's Prayer. Lexham Press did a great job in its layout and Wesley did a good job in exposition.

[Todd Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hill has written a delightful and thoughtful short line-by-line reflection upon the Lord’s Prayer. It is brilliantly executed and can be used profitably for meditation on the verses explained. I highly recommend it.

[Lance Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Wesley’s best. It’ll be a gift worth returning to again and again.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief meditations on the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. Hill has some wonderful insights that were very helpful in preparing a Bible study on the petitions of the prayer. He does not shy from making real-world pointed applications, although these are occasionally politically charged. The book is beautiful, with beautiful pictures and font (which, pretentiously, is specifically identified along with its creator on a back page). Some of Hill's applications will seem a little idiosyncratic or narrow, but on the whole this was helpful. There is as much blank space or pictures as there is actual text, so while the book is beautiful, it does seem light on content. And everything about it spoke of it's location within white-collar, educated, white, upper-class or upper-middle-class Christianity.

I would give it 3.5 stars. Definitely worthwhile and would make a good present.

[John B. MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief exploration of the Lord’s Prayer is perhaps the most lucid, insightful, and helpful that I have read.

Any complaint I might have is directed at the editors and publisher who saw fit to puff out a beneficial booklet into a short overpriced hardcover book with almost a third of its pages being artsy fillers of dubious value.

Wesley Hill—well done (5 stars)! Lexham Press—somewhat disappointing (3 stars).

[Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little primer on the Lord's Prayer, with flourishes of exegetical insight and nourishing truths to chew on. As someone acquainted with important catechetical texts like the Lord's Prayer, I wish Hill would have thickened his chapters with more scriptural elucidation; presumably though, I bet he was limited by this type of book's publishing length.

[Dan Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gem, somewhat reminiscent of Alexander Schmemann's "Our Father" in combining depth and brevity in a beautiful package (written & visual). Hill combines scriptural exposition, cultural observation, personal devotion-discipleship, historical awareness, and church formation.

This slim volume is part of a series from Lexham Press intended for catechesis - which is does admirably - but which would also be perfect for personal devotion.

Highly recommended to everyone from new to mature believers, ages junior high and up.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely set of meditations on the Lord's Prayer. I especially appreciated the coda which brought it all together using Nouwen's reflections on Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son. Lexham's "Christian Essentials" Series doesn't disappoint.

[Jacob Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes Hill continues to be one of my favourite theological writers. He writes with such sensitivity, warmth, and approachability. And yet, in this approachability, he retains profundity and depth. A beautiful, helpful reflection for praying the Lord’s Prayer.

[Matthew Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book about how and why we pray, with great theological insights sprinkled throughout.

[Joey Coons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good starter if you are wanting to begin digging into the Lords Prayer and grow in prayer life. It’s not in depth so it’s certainly more like a beginners crash course, but it is good.

[Chris Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, beautiful, theological, ecumenical, and contemporary reflections on Jesus' model prayer.

[Taylor Barkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book. I’ve been looking for a book on the Lords Prayer and then this came along! I definitely recommend. Excellent place to start.

[Dan King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great little book to help me get my head wrapped around a prayer that is central to the Christian faith.

I've recently been making the shift from non-denominational charismatic churches where The Lord's Prayer wasn't recited regularly to the more liturgical Episcopal Church where it is recited every week. And while I do devotions regularly guided by the Book of Common Prayer, our family has been reciting this daily as well.

As someone who has studied some theology, the book provided some interesting historical context for the prayer. But more than that, it has helped me wrap my head around concepts that I can talk with my kids about to help them understand it beyond just a rote memorization situation.

Definitely a good, quick read for anyone interested in digging a little deeper into understanding the meaning behind this amazing prayer.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christological and vivified approach to an often rote recictation.

[Mike Prince · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant at points with a couple of faceplants here and there.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Profound but Not Always Sound

I struggled between a three and four star review, but the presentation quality of the books in this series, the approach of including the perspectives of the early church, and the pithy yet profound perspectives in this book series pushed me to four stars.

Doctrinally it is another story because at several points Wesley Hill’s approach toward and affirming stance of sexuality, gender (egalitarianism), and social issues comes through (10, 15-17, 26-27, 35, 37, 84-85). He also appears to make too much of Heaven not being a place (15).

Finally, his Episcopalian beliefs regarding the Eucharist are evident (54-55), which one should expect due to the overall ecclesial approach in this series of short books on Christian Essentials.

Nevertheless, throughout the book there are great quotes, illustrations, and insights into the Lord’s Prayer that are engaging, not the least of which is how Jesus both instructs and incarnates the Lord‘s Prayer (4-5, 52). His defense of a real, personal devil is well done (82-83) but it is juxtaposed with a one-sided application to racism that ends with this statement: “Christian who worship whiteness don’t just need education; we need exorcism” (85, cf. 83-85).

Hill’s concluding reflections at the end of the book on praying the Lord’s Prayer with Rembrandt and his famous painting of the Return of the Prodigal Son provide devotional warmth (97-104).

Overall, while this should not be the first stop in your study of the Lord’s Prayer or the last stop, it is - for pastors especially - a worthwhile partner along the way to understanding and teaching the Lord’s Prayer. When we learn to discern, we can still read those with whom we disagree and derive positive instruction while being reminded again of the importance of sound doctrine.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father,” Wesley Hill offers a wonderful, meditative introduction to the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray. He begins the book by reminding his reader of the nature of prayer: “God doesn’t need our prayer.” Rather, God is our Father and already “disposed favorably” towards us (2). Why then pray? Because God delights in our prayers. The Lord’s Prayer is a gift to us, it gives us the language for prayer while it instructs us in who God is. The Lord’s Prayer releases us from the burden of feeling like we need to “pacify, convince, or haggle with God.”Jesus instead teaches us about a Father “who is eager, indeed, delighted to hear prayer” (3). Jesus gives us this prayer which we may use to come before the God who is delighted to hear us.

There is much to commend in this book. Two of my favorite themes were the connections to the Eucharist and to justice. Hill connects the Lord’s Prayer to the elements of communion: when we pray this prayer, our plea for “daily bread” finds its fulfillment in the bread broken for us (54-5); our plea for forgiveness of sins finds its answer in the cup we drink of the new covenant (66). Hill draws out how the Prayer and the Eucharist form bookends of a complete liturgy which catechizes us into a right understanding of God and gives us the food of faith to sustain us.

Hill also considers how the prayer’s plea for deliverance “from evil” is no less needed today than it was in Jesus’ own era. Hill warns the reader against thinking we, in our modern age, have rescued ourselves from the ignorance of belief in a tangible evil that has marked each one of us more than we are aware. Hill stresses how the prayer corrects our arrogance and acknowledges that God alone can satisfy our hunger for justice and freedom from systemic oppressions.

While every reader will benefit from the book, it is especially good news to prodigal sons and daughters (summed up especially in the book’s final chapter). For any who think of God the Father as distant, unloving, unmerciful, withholding, or enigmatic, “The Lord’s Prayer” introduces the reader to God the Father as Jesus sees him: the Father who delights in our prayers, who loves his children dearly, and whose kingdom is coming with rescue and redemption. Highly recommended for all readers.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for free from the publisher. I was not asked to provide a positive review, and this in no way affected my review.

[Logan Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I review the book, I need to mention that I received this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review for the book.

This book was a very refreshing look into a very well-known prayer and passage of Scripture. It has helped me see things I had not seen before and make connections to Jesus' future actions and words in his ministry as well as his sacrifice on the cross. The prayer is "first and foremost about Jesus Himself" (4). He is the embodiment of this prayer that he prays and teaches his disciples not only to pray but how to live out the things that he prays.
This book is very solid theologically and although I am not normally inclined to take a passage from its context and just talk about each specific piece individually, Hill does a great job of setting up the context of the passage and with every piece that he breaks down he remembers to weave it back into the context of the passage as well as with the rest of the gospels. Although there were a couple of points I would disagree with Hill on concerning the nature of original sin, I think this book is extremely insightful as it pertains to the nature of prayer, the significance and intentionality of each piece brought in and how they are all connected together.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who desires to learn more in-depth about this significant prayer and who just wants a refreshing look at prayer.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short volume on the Lord’s Prayer by Wesley Hill is designed to shake off the dust and routine that many on us have covering that model prayer Christ shared. The subtitle “a guide to praying to our Father” is wisely kept prominent throughout. Hill leads us on a thoughtful journey through every phrase of that prayer.

To be sure, there were times I didn’t line up theologically with Hill, nor would I agree with every capitulation to modern times I felt he made, but this book led me deeper into the Lord’s Prayer. It replaced staleness with vibrancy on several occasions. He gives clear evidence of unrushed thinking and the results often gratify.

Lexham Press has started a series of “Christian Essentials” which includes this title. If this is what we can expect, I predict the series might be quite popular.

This book draws you back to the Lord’s Prayer as if it were a neglected friend. What better measure of success could this little book have?

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Joshua Southard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these little books in this series. They have bite-sized wisdom and insight into areas that can be forgotten or lose their power through repetition. This book contains a chapter for each phrase in the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 and Luke 11. I’m sure you’ve heard this prayer before. We prayed it before every soccer game in high school, so even my heathen friends knew it.

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. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. (Doxology) For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

The author goes through each petition, giving history, context, and color about why Jesus taught his disciples to pray with these words. There are some deep theological truths and some practical notes. When addressing the question about why we should pray, the author uses this quote from C.S. Lewis, which resonated deeply with me: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” I have found this to be true in my life lately. Giving things to God changes me. It relieves stress, reminds me who is in control, and reminds me of my priorities.

This is for anyone looking to pray deeper prayers.
(Rated G, Score 9/10, hardback, 120p.)

[Kenson Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples has transcended time, and not only this, has captivated many writers, theologians and pastors. The content of this prayer, it is brief but abundant in spiritual wealth. Professor Wesley Hill joins these writers and theologians of yesteryear, to comment in a fresh and brief way on the Lord's Prayer.

This short book, which belongs to a great series entitled "Christian Essentials", encourages us to reflect on the Lord's Prayer. It is inevitable that the reader meditate on the challenging, comforting and precise truths that the author shares.

Written in a very dynamic way, without falling into unnecessary technicalities, any reader can assimilate what the author proposes. But above all, most readers will be encouraged to pray, to pray to our Father in the name of Jesus. Because this prayer does not make sense if it is not for Jesus.

This book can be read personally or would also be useful for small groups.

I received this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review for the book.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may come back to this and write some more later. I have a class on the Lord's Prayer in two weeks and I had been wanting to read this book so I picked it up for some pre-class reading.

I have read this and NT Wright's short book on the Lord's Prayer and I am currently Leonardo Boff's book as well (later two were assigned). I think that I like Hill's is a good straight forward explication and I think better on the whole than Wright's, although they are doing different things. Both would make good small group discussions.

I have a bunch of short quotes saved here https://www.goodreads.com/notes/50374...

[Daniel Davalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful little book with clear insights about prayer and the God to whom we pray. Irrespective of my theological differences with Hill, which only became relevant here and there, here is a book written by a brother who prays and prays often, and so what a treat it is to glean from his wisdom.

One weird note is that Hill doesn't mention the disputability of the doxology in the earliest manuscripts. Not a huge deal, and it's probably not that type of book—but as someone who didn't grow up in anglophone Christianity and so for whom the inclusion of the doxology has always been a little jarring, I would have loved to get his thoughts on the matter, even if just as an aside.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is far shorter than its 150 pgs would give the impression. Following in the footsteps of Ben Myers' commentary on the Apostles' Creed, this is a concise and clear exposition of the Lord's prayer. It is also unabashedly Anglican, which makes for an interesting read.

My initial reaction is to give this a 3.5 star rating. It's a fine book, but when compared to other expositions of the Lord's prayer such as Luther's large catechism, Calvin's exposition, Karl Barth's, or Justo Gonzalez's, this book falls short. So part of my rating is in comparison to other expositions.

[Elijah Canete · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was decent. Was a little skeptical at first (as I am with most authors) but Hill is pretty accurate in his analysis of the Lord’s Prayer. I believe it’s a helpful guide and I gained much more depth in what the words actually mean. My only critique would be is that sometimes Hill uses overly descriptive language when talking about simple topics, which can sometimes skew or overcomplicate his message. Other than that this was a good book! Really excited to reading the rest of the catechism series

[Ronald J. Pauleus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich theology shared here.

“The Lord’s Prayer is a portrait of Jesus Christ—the One who addresses God as Father, who sanctifies God’s name, who announces and bears God’s healing reign, who submits to God’s will, who gives His flesh as daily bread for the life of the world, who provides for the forgiveness of sins through His death on the cross and thus inducts His followers into a lifestyle of forgiveness, and who ultimately delivers believers from the power of death and the devil.”