Jesus next demonstrated what “non-heathen” prayer was like; and this prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, did become the model of Christian prayer. Ironically, for many it became almost the same kind of vain repetition as the heathen’s prayer it was given to counter. The prayer should be considered a model, not a formula.
The invocation addresses “our Father, who art in heaven,” establishing a relationship between the one offering the prayer and God. First, the relationship is inherently vertical—from inferior to superior. “Our Father” is an inclusive title. God is the father of all human beings. He is “our” Father, not “my” Father.
Second, fatherhood establishes a strong connection between God and humankind. Book of Mormon theology goes a step further by making this relationship, not merely an acknowledgment, but transformational when entered into by covenant: “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7). By making covenants, the Nephites became God’s kin, with all of the expectations of mutual care, trust, and responsibility.
Third, this Father, though our kin, is in heaven, not on earth. This qualifier not only distinguishes God the Father’s rights and responsibilities from those of earthly fathers but also indicates the realm of operation. God the Father is not only in heaven; he is concerned with heaven. His realm is heaven, and his purposes are eternal, not temporal. As a result, this God who knows our needs even before we pray, will understand and attend to our needs as eternal concerns and for our eternal spiritual welfare. For the Israel of Jesus’s time, God was concerned that they throw off the bondage of Satan, not that of the Romans.
“Hallowed be thy name” means, literally, that God’s name should be made sacred or holy. In the ancient context where the name represented the person and had power in and of itself, the sacredness of God’s person is embodied in the name. Obviously respect and reverence were due God’s name. The Jews manifested this respect by declining to utter God’s name and, when reading scriptures aloud, substituting “the Lord” for it. Naturally, it would have been blasphemous to use God’s name in a magical formula that had the intention of commanding God’s presence.
This verse, to summarize, establishes and recognizes the relationship that human beings have with God. He is our common Father, and we are as siblings before him. The nature of our vertical relationship also defines our horizontal relationships. All children of the same father are brothers and sisters.
Comparison: There are no changes from the Matthean version.