The first petition is “Hallowed be thy Name.”

God’s Name reveals who he is—his nature, his character, his power, and his purposes. The Name God reveals to Moses is “I am who I am” or simply “I am.” This Name means that he alone is truly God, he is the source of his own Being, he is holy and just, and he cannot be defined by his creatures.

Throughout the Scriptures, God is known as “Lord.” Through the Person and ministry of Jesus Christ, God is also revealed to be one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“Hallowed” means to be treated as holy—set apart, sacred, and glorified.

God’s Name is holy in itself, and God glorifies his Name by saving fallen humanity, by building his Church, and by establishing his kingdom in this world and in the age to come.

I can honor God’s Name as holy by worshiping him, serving others, and living in loving obedience as his child and a citizen of his kingdom.

The second petition is “Thy kingdom come.”

The kingdom of God is the just and peaceful reign of Jesus Christ over all the world, especially in the lives of his faithful people, through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

I pray that the whole creation may be renewed and restored under its rightful Lord, now in part and fully in the age to come.

God’s kingdom is announced to the people of Israel, arrives in Jesus Christ, and advances through the Church’s mission. It will appear in its fullness once Christ returns in glory.

As a citizen of God’s kingdom, I am called to live in obedience to God’s Word and will, in loving witness and service to others, and in joyful hope of Christ’s return.

The third petition is “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

God’s will is to reconcile all things to himself in Jesus Christ and to establish his kingdom on the earth. His will is revealed in the whole of Scripture and especially in Jesus Christ, whom I am called to serve and imitate with my whole life.

I pray for God to break the dominion of the world, the flesh, and the devil; to establish justice and thwart the plans of the wicked; to strengthen and direct his Church; and to extend the kingdom of his grace.

I can walk in God’s will by loving him and my neighbor, and by taking my part in the Church’s mission to extend his kingdom in the world.

In heaven, God’s Name is perfectly hallowed, and his will is perfectly obeyed and fulfilled. I pray for his kingdom to be established fully and his will to be accomplished on earth, that his Name may be perfectly hallowed in all creation.

The fourth petition is “Give us this day our daily bread.”

I pray for my needs and those of my brothers and sisters: for daily provision, pardon for sins, and protection from evil.

Daily bread includes all that we need each day for our bodily provision and spiritual nourishment.

God calls me to trust him for the needs of each day, to be concerned for the needs of others, to be content with what I have, and to grow in gratitude for his provision.

God gives me daily bread because he is a good and loving Father, who gives good things to all his children, sustains us in life, and desires that we grow daily in his grace.