主教导我们祷告
马太福音六章5至14节
5你们祷告的时候，不可像那假冒为善的人，爱站在会堂里和十字路口上祷告，故意叫人看见。我实在告诉你们，他们已经得了他们的赏赐。
6你祷告的时候，要进你的内屋，关上门，祷告你在暗中的父；你父在暗中察看，必然报答你。
7你们祷告，不可像外邦人，用许多重复话，他们以为话多了必蒙垂听。
8你们不可效法他们；因为你们没有祈求以先，你们所需用的，你们的父早已知道了。
9所以，你们祷告要这样说：我们在天上的父：愿人都尊你的名为圣。
10愿你的国降临；愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。
11我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。
12免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。
13不叫我们遇见试探；救我们脱离凶恶（或作：脱离恶者）。因为国度、权柄、荣耀，全是你的，直到永远。阿们（有古卷没有因为……阿们等字）！
14你们饶恕人的过犯，你们的天父也必饶恕你们的过犯；
信息分享
主答应他们的要求，为他们提供了一个祷告的模式和指引。我们称它为「主祷文」，但它其实并非主自己的祷文，因为祂无须求神赦罪。我们才需要求神赦罪，但耶稣根本没有犯罪，所以不用祈求赦罪。
因此，这是我们要学习和跟随的祷告；但我们却不能不加思考地只懂得念念有词，便以为自己已按教导祷告。这是一个明确的祷告指引。我们祷告的时候，即使是祈求神供应我们所需，也必须怀着赤诚、感恩之心向我们的天父祷告。
我们可以在马太福音，看见主教门徒祷告的背景。按照基督的教导，我们祷告的时候要留意以下几点：
1. 真诚（太六5）：每个人都可能出现虚伪。我们是发乎内心的祈祷，还是想别人看见我们祷告是多么虔诚？基督教导我们，祷告必须发乎真诚。
2. 简洁（太六7）：我们要弄清楚的是，基督并非说我们不要重重复覆地不断祈求，因为祂在客西马尼园也是重复地向神祈求。此外，祂也不是说我们不要长时间祈祷，因为祂本人也曾彻夜祷告。反之，基督乃是教导我们，不要用空洞和无意义的话来不断重复祷告，以为祷告多了，神就会垂听。我们要学习真诚和简单清晰地祷告。
3. 学习主所提供的范例：基督为我们提供了一个祷告的范例和指引，当中教导了我们许多重要原则。但最首要的，是我们要记着，我们祷告的时候是跟我们的天父交谈。请再读祷文一遍，留意当中的重点和祈求的事项，它们正是我们每次祷告都应包括的重点，也是天父期望听见的祷告。
THE PRAYER OUR LORD GAVE US
Matthew 6:5-14
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you,
they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Message
Our Lord responded by giving them a pattern, a guide for their prayers. We call this "The Lord's Prayer". But it is not really the "Lord's". For example, this prayer asks for forgiveness of sin. That is one matter about which we often need to pray but Jesus Christ never needed to do so.
Therefore, it is our prayer, yet it is not a prayer which we should repeat over and over without thinking. It was given as a definite guide for all our praying. Our prayers should be the grateful opening of our hearts to our Heavenly Father, even if we are asking Him to supply our needs.
The background of this model prayer is given to us in Matthew's Gospel. In speaking about our praying Christ said that our prayers should be:
1. Sincere (Mt 6:5). The danger of hypocrisy is always present with all of us. As we pray, are we praying out of a deep sense of need? Or are we merely wanting someone else to see how well we can pray? Christ told us to be sincere when we pray.
2. Simple (Mt 6:7). It is not merely repeating our requests that Christ is objecting to. He repeated His own requests in Gethsemane several times. Nor does He mean we should not have long periods of prayer. He himself spent whole nights in prayer.
What Christ was warning us about is the empty and meaningless repetition of words which, because of their great number, are supposed to count with God. In our praying, let us be sincere and simple.
3. Sample. Then Christ gave a sample prayer - a model, a guide for our praying. It teaches us so many aspects of prayer. Most of all when we pray, remember we are talking with our Father. Read the prayer again. Notice those points and the requests which this model prayer covers. These are the points which all our prayers should include, and which our Father will be looking for as we pray.