The Lord's Prayer

Plain English Version (PEV)

Mat 6:9–13

9 So pray like this, ‘God, our Father, you live in heaven. We want everyone to respect you.
10 We want you to be everyone’s boss. We want everyone in the world to do what you want, just like everyone in heaven does what you want.
11 Please give us the food that we need each day.
12 Please don’t punish us for the wrong things that we did, just like we don’t do payback to the people that did wrong things to us.
13 Don’t let anything push us to do wrong things. And keep us safe from the devil.’”

1 Jesus told his followers a picture story, to teach them how to pray. He said, “Think about this. A man is going on a long trip, and at night he comes to the house where his cousin lives, so he visits him to stay the night with him. But his cousin hasn’t got any food to give him. So his cousin goes out in the middle of the night to his friend’s house, and he knocks on the door and he calls out, ‘Hey, friend, can you give me some food? You see, my cousin has just come, and I’ve got no food to give him. Can you give me some bread?’
2 But his friend has already locked his door and gone to bed, with his wife and his kids, and he doesn’t want to get up, so he says, ‘Don’t humbug me now. I’m in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
3 But if that man keeps on knocking and asking for bread, after a while his friend will get up and give him everything he asks for. He will not do it because they are friends. He will do it because that man keeps on asking him.
4 So I’m telling you this. Keep on asking God for what you need, and he will give it to you. Keep on looking for what you need, and God will help you find it. Or if something is stopping you, like there is a door that is shut and you can’t get in, keep knocking at that door and God will open it for you.