One of the first prayers that we learn to pray as children is the Lord’s Prayer. The intimate beginning—“Our Father Who art in Heaven”—personalizes the prayer and helps us to see God as more than a transcendent, all-powerful being; it helps us to see Him as our Heavenly Father. Belonging to Him makes us members of His family.
The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that Jesus Himself taught us. However, because we know it so well, we might recite it without fully grasping its meaning.
When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, how fully do you grasp the depth of each petition? By growing in understanding of Jesus’ perfect prayer and using it in the way he intended, we can more closely unite our souls with our loving God.
The Lord’s Prayer: A School of Desire
According to Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, the Lord’s Prayer is more than a formula of words—it is a school of desire, shaping our souls to long for God and His will above all. It teaches us what to ask for, forms our souls to desire rightly, and reveals the proper ordering of our desires before God. Each petition is not only an invocation of what to seek but a means of reordering our affections—training us to love as God loves, to trust fully, and to surrender completely.
To assist this transformation, the book proposes a simple threefold methodology:
- Form the Mind: By studying each petition, we grasp the truths Jesus revealed.
- Conform the Will: By understanding and professing these truths in faith, we begin to choose them with the help of grace.
- Transform the Desires: By repeated acts of faith and love, aided by grace, we form virtues. In time, the Lord’s Prayer is transformed from words we recite into a mirror of our sanctified desires.
Structure of this Book
In nine chapters, a conclusion, prayers, and appendix, this book uncovers the full spiritual and theological richness of the Lord’s Prayer:
- Introduction: Provides the theological background and the structure of the Lord’s Prayer.
- Ch. 1–2: Who God is and the meaning of “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
- Ch. 3–9: Each of the seven petitions explored in depth.
- A conclusion and summary followed by a meditation and prayers that offer reflections on the Lord’s Prayer.
- Appendix: Biographical notes on Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas
Each chapter blends Scripture, theology, spiritual reflection, and practical application, offering a comprehensive guide to praying as Jesus taught us.
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