"Teach Us How to Pray"

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Matthew 6:7–15

As we begin this first full week of Lent, Jesus gently brings us back to the heart of our faith: prayer. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that prayer is not about using many words or saying things “just right.” God is a loving Father who already knows what we need. Prayer, at its core, is about relationship. It is coming home to God who already knows us, loves us unconditionally, and desires our friendship.

Jesus is our model for prayer. Jesus prayed regularly and often, before and during the events of his life, and sometimes spending the night alone in prayer. Moved by Jesus' example, his disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

Jesus gives us the "Lord’s Prayer" or the "Our Father"¹—a prayer many of us know by heart. Because it is so familiar, we may sometimes say it quickly or without much thought. Lent invites us to slow down and listen again. Every petition of this prayer teaches us how to trust God and how to live as God’s children.

Jesus teaches us to begin with “Our Father,” not "my Father." Every time we pray, we stand before God together—as brothers and sisters. Lent reminds us that faith is personal, but never private. We belong to God and to God's family.

"Hallowed be your name." Before asking for anything, we place God at the center. Lent gently shifts our focus away from ourselves and back to God. We ask that God's name be honored, not only in the world, but in the way we live and give glory to God through our worship, intentions, thoughts, speech, and actions.

"Your kingdom Come" calls us to long for God's ways and values—such as love, truth, goodness, justice, peace, compassion, forgiveness, and sacrificial service—to govern the world and guide our lives.

"Your will be done" acknowledges that God is the source and center of all existence, and calls us to discern and surrender to following God's plan and purposes, rather than our own preferences, asking that what God wants should happen here on earth, just as it perfectly happens in heaven.

“Give us this day our daily bread” requests God to provide us with the material subsistence we need each day, and also for the Bread of Life: the Word of God and the Body of Christ. We respond with gratitude, simplicity, and dependence on God, one day at a time,

“Forgive us. . .as we forgive,” Jesus gently challenges us to look at our hearts. We all carry wounds. We all need mercy. And Jesus ties the two together—receiving forgiveness and offering it. Lent is a time to heal relationships. We ask God to forgive us, while committing ourselves to let go of our resentments and forgive others.

"Do not subject us to the final test" or "lead us not into temptation" asks God to keep us alert to the dangers of sin and to give us the grace to discern and empower us to resist temptation.

"Deliver us from the evil one," acknowledges the reality of evil and our need for God's grace and protection from anything that seeks to draw us away from God—such as sin, temptation, spiritual harm, and lies that can distort our minds and hearts—and anchoring ourselves in the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel reading for today also reassures us that prayer does not have to be complicated. God is not distant or hard to reach. We can speak to God honestly, simply, and from the heart. Even silently resting in God's love can be prayer. What matters is showing up—making space each day to be with God—even if only for a few minutes.

Lent is not about doing everything perfectly. It is about returning—returning to God through worship and prayer, and to a deeper sense of loving, surrendering to, and trusting in God. Today, Jesus reminds us that prayer is not a task to complete, but a relationship to nurture. God is already listening.

You are invited to reflect today about which line of the Lord’s Prayer speaks most to your life right now? Is there someone you need to forgive—or ask forgiveness from—as part of your Lenten journey?

Loving Father,
You know what I need before I ask.
Teach me how to pray with a simple and trusting heart
Help me to rely on you each day,
to forgive as I have been forgiven,
and to grow closer to you this Lent.
May prayer renew me and lead me to love more fully.
Amen.

"Lenten and Easter Resources 2026"

1 Compare another version of the "Lord's Prayer" found in Luke 11:2-4

This reflection was prepared with the assistance of CoPilot.