February 22, 2026

The Example of Prayer (Part 2) | Matthew 6:11-13

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The Example of Prayer (Part 2) | Matthew 6:11-13
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The Example of Prayer – Part 2

Key Scripture

James 2:17 – “So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.”

Prayer is one of the clearest good works flowing out of genuine faith.

Matthew 6:11–13

Review

We have discussed:

  • The Guidelines of Prayer
    Virtue, intimacy, sincerity, relationship

  • The Fervency of Prayer
    Tenacity, dedication, asking in God’s will

  • The First Half of the Lord’s Prayer
    Focused entirely on God—His name, His kingdom, His will

Now Jesus turns to our personal petitions—the final four requests of the prayer.

Matthew 6:9–13

The Petition of Prayer

4. The Provision Petition

“Give us today our daily bread.” — Matthew 6:11

This is the fourth petition and the first that deals with our needs.

Give

  • A humble request

  • Not demanding, but trusting

Us

  • Not “give me”—but “give us”

  • Prayer remains corporate, family-oriented

Today

  • We are not praying for tomorrow’s resources

  • Matthew 6:34 – Tomorrow has its own concerns

  • Prayer keeps us dependent on God now

Daily

  • Not a week’s supply

  • Enough for this day

  • Like the manna in the wilderness:

    • They could not gather more than needed

    • Leftovers rotted

    • Except for the Sabbath

God teaches His people to depend on Him day by day.

Bread

  • Represents basic sustenance

  • We pray for what is needed—not luxury, but provision

The Pardon of Prayer

5. The Forgiveness Petition

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” — Matthew 6:12

Martin Luther said:
“Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.”

Forgive

The fifth petition acknowledges our ongoing need for God’s mercy.

Debts

  • This is not the typical Greek word for sin or trespass

  • Used here uniquely

  • Luke 11:4 gives the parallel:

    • “Forgive us our sins…for we forgive everyone in debt to us.”

What Is Sin?

  • 1 John 3:4 – Sin is lawlessness

  • Psalm 51:4 – All sin is ultimately against God

  • 1 John 1:9 – Confession leads to forgiveness and cleansing

We are forgiven as we forgive, acknowledging our shared need for grace.

The Protection of Prayer

6. The Temptation Petition

“And do not bring us into temptation…” — Matthew 6:13a

This request shifts from spiritual healing (forgiveness) to spiritual protection.

The sixth petition means:

  • “Do not let us fall into temptation”

  • “Do not abandon us to temptation”

  • “Do not let temptation overwhelm us”

In the Aramaic background of the prayer:

  • This means “do not let us succumb”

We ask God to guard us from situations where we would fail.

7. The Deliverance Petition

“…but deliver us from the evil one.” — Matthew 6:13b

The seventh and final petition asks for rescue.

The phrase “evil” can mean:

  • Evil in general, or

  • The evil one (Satan)

Both meanings affirm:

  • We cannot defeat evil alone

  • We need God to deliver, protect, and preserve us

The Power of Prayer

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” — Matthew 6:13c

(This concluding doxology reflects 1 Chronicles 29:11.)

For Yours

Prayer ends where it began—with God, not us.

Kingdom

  • All authority, rule, and dominion belong to Him

  • This world is His

Power

  • God holds all ability

  • Everything that happens occurs by His sovereignty

Glory

  • All honor and praise belong to God eternally

The final words lift our eyes from our need back to God’s greatness.

Summary

The last four petitions of the Lord’s Prayer teach us that:

  • God provides — daily bread

  • God pardons — forgiving sin

  • God protects — keeping us from temptation

  • God preserves — delivering us from evil

And all of this flows from His kingdom, power, and glory.