You pray it. But do you understand it? The Lord's Prayer has become so familiar to us that we don't think about what we're praying. It's a portrait of Jesus' heart. And in it Christians from different times, places, and traditions have been united. We pray it, but do we actually believe it? When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he emphasized how uncomplicated it should be. There's no need for pretense or theatrics. Instead, simply ask for what you need as though you were speaking with your earthly father. This opens a window into Jesus' prayer life and presents us with a portrait of his heart for his followers. Wesley Hill re-introduces the Lord's Prayer. He shows us a God who is delighted to hear prayer. Petition by petition, in conversation with the Christian tradition, he draws out the significance of Jesus' words for prayer today. --

Wesley Hill is associate professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry (Ambridge, PA). He is author of Paul and the Trinity: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters, Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian, and Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality.