Before you begin, grown-ups: Churches pray the Lord’s Prayer with slightly different words—some say “debts,” some say “trespasses,” and some add a closing line praising God’s kingdom, power, and glory. The catechism follows Matthew’s wording. Feel free to pray it your church’s way, too. For some children, “Father” brings up hard feelings. You can say that God is the Father every child deserves—always kind, always there—and that it’s okay to talk about it.
01 · GATHER ROUND
Start with a question.
“If you could ask Jesus one question about prayer, what would you ask?”
Write the questions down. Some may be answered today, and some are great to keep asking.
02 · OUR BIG QUESTION
What is the Lord’s Prayer?
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 debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
New City Catechism · Question 41 · Children’s answer · Official page03 · OPEN THE BIBLE
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Berean Standard Bible · BSB
The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.
Read it slowly together. What words stand out? You can choose the translation your family knows best.
“Lord, teach us.”
Jesus’s disciples watched him pray all the time. He prayed early in the morning and late at night, on mountains and in quiet places. One day they asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” And Jesus gave them a prayer that Christians all over the world still pray today. We call it the Lord’s Prayer.
It begins, “Our Father in heaven.” Think about that. Jesus invites us to call the God of the universe Father, because through Jesus we become part of his family. And it’s our Father, not just my Father. We pray as brothers and sisters together.
Next comes “hallowed be Your name.” Hallowed means treated as holy. Before we ask for anything, we start by praising God and asking that everyone would honor him. Then we pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done—asking God to make the world the way he wants it to be.
After that, the prayer asks for what we need: daily bread, which means everything we need for today; forgiveness for our sins, along with help to forgive others; and protection from temptation and evil. Jesus shows us that it’s good to ask our Father for everyday needs and for help to live well.
You can pray the Lord’s Prayer word for word—it’s a wonderful thing to know by heart. You can also use it as a pattern. Praise God. Pray for his kingdom. Ask for what you need. Say sorry, and forgive. Ask for help to do what’s right. It’s like a map for all our prayers.
The best part is who taught it to us. Jesus, who knows the Father perfectly, handed us these words himself. When we pray them, we’re praying the way Jesus showed us.
04 · WONDER TOGETHER
Let’s talk about it.
- What does it mean to you that Jesus invites us to call God “our Father”?
- Why do you think the Lord’s Prayer praises God before asking for things?
- Which part of the Lord’s Prayer do you most need to pray this week?
Try answering one yourself first. “I don’t know yet” is a fine place to start a conversation.
05 · A LITTLE CHALLENGE
Carry the truth with you.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer together each day this week. Then pick one part each day to pray in your own words—for example, after the part about daily bread, name the things you need today; after the part about forgiveness, name someone you want to forgive.
06 · TALK TO GOD
Let’s pray.
Our Father in heaven, we praise your holy name. Thank you that through Jesus we can call you Father. Let your kingdom come and your will be done in our home, our town, and the whole world. Give us what we need today. Forgive us, and help us forgive others. Keep us from temptation and evil. Amen.
Then invite everyone to add one thing they want to tell God.
07 · MAKE IT STICK
A little truth to learn by heart.
Give each part of the prayer a motion: point up for our Father in heaven, bow for his holy name, open your arms wide for his kingdom, cup your hands for daily bread, hug yourself for forgiveness, and raise your hands like a shield for protection from evil. Pray it with the motions until the whole family can do it together.
SAY IT. HIDE IT. TRY IT TOGETHER.
This week’s answer · New City Catechism Q41
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 debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
No streaks. No catching up. Just growing together.
Progress stays in this browser.Question 41 and its children’s answer are quoted from the official New City Catechism resource and were checked on September 29, 2026. The New City Catechism, Copyright © 2017 by The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Published by Crossway. Devotional, prayer, and activities are original. Scripture translations are supplied through YouVersion when connected. The saved BSB reading matches the official Berean Standard Bible text; the Berean text is dedicated to the public domain.