Why We Pray “Our Father”

The one who prays never prays alone.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

When Jesus taught us to pray, he did not teach us to pray “My Father” but “Our Father.” Why? The reason is as powerful as it is simple: Because when we pray, we never pray alone. It is almost a certainty that whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer there is someone in the world praying it with us, even if we happen to be praying it alone. And there is great comfort in this knowledge. Whenever we pray, there are others praying with us, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name …” We are part of a community of Christians around world, praying for us and with us, even as we pray for them and with them. 

But there is another important reason why Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father”…