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Lord's Prayer
Bringing his insightful and down-to-earth approach to bear on the topic of The Lord's Prayer, R.T. Kendall opens up new depths in this short prayer, exploring the full range of meaning in each line to establish firm principles for all our prayer. Starting from the initial focus on God, through asking for what God wants in our world, then on to our needs, and so finally on to the benediction with which the prayer closes, he unpacks the meaning of each line, brings personal challenges to bear on our own lives, and gives us the reassurance of God's love and care for us.
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 31, 2025
“Let no one think that he or she ever- ever-outgrows the need for mercy!”
R. T. Kendall’s THE LORD’S PRAYER is a thoughtful and engaging exploration of what is perhaps the most familiar prayer in the Christian tradition, found in Matthew 6. Though widely memorized and frequently recited, the Lord’s Prayer is often underexamined, and Kendall invites the reader to slow down and consider its depth, meaning, and practical implications for daily Christian life.
Reading this book I gained several fresh insights into this iconic prayer. I was especially struck by the final chapter, which focuses exclusively on forgiveness and what it truly looks like when lived out in the Christian life. Kendall effectively connects forgiveness to the successful application of the Lord’s Prayer in our everyday practice.
One particularly interesting connection Kendall makes, one I had never considered before, is between the Lord’s Prayer and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewing the prayer through this lens was both unexpected and illuminating, and it helped me see how Jesus’ model prayer speaks not only to spiritual concerns, but to the full range of human need and dependence on God.
The greatest strength and ultimate purpose of this book lies in how it continually turns the reader back to the source material itself, the Lord’s Prayer, and challenges us to make it a daily discipline that we actively seek to live out.
Quotes:
• “God does not honor our logic but our childlike obedience.”
• “You cannot make the God of the Bible do what you want.”
• “When Jesus told us to address our father ‘in heaven’ it was a command to look beyond the present realm.”
• “Most of us think of our own agenda when we pray; it usually does not occur to us that God has an agenda too.”
• “When you pray, ‘Your will be done’ it also means you accept His will.”
Finally, I believe this book serves as an excellent introduction for newer Christians who may not yet have a deep theological foundation, while also offering meaningful reminders for more mature believers who need to return to the basics. In that sense, THE LORD’S PRAYER is an accessible, practical, and spiritually enriching read for Christians at any stage of their walk.
R. T. Kendall’s THE LORD’S PRAYER is a thoughtful and engaging exploration of what is perhaps the most familiar prayer in the Christian tradition, found in Matthew 6. Though widely memorized and frequently recited, the Lord’s Prayer is often underexamined, and Kendall invites the reader to slow down and consider its depth, meaning, and practical implications for daily Christian life.
Reading this book I gained several fresh insights into this iconic prayer. I was especially struck by the final chapter, which focuses exclusively on forgiveness and what it truly looks like when lived out in the Christian life. Kendall effectively connects forgiveness to the successful application of the Lord’s Prayer in our everyday practice.
One particularly interesting connection Kendall makes, one I had never considered before, is between the Lord’s Prayer and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewing the prayer through this lens was both unexpected and illuminating, and it helped me see how Jesus’ model prayer speaks not only to spiritual concerns, but to the full range of human need and dependence on God.
The greatest strength and ultimate purpose of this book lies in how it continually turns the reader back to the source material itself, the Lord’s Prayer, and challenges us to make it a daily discipline that we actively seek to live out.
Quotes:
• “God does not honor our logic but our childlike obedience.”
• “You cannot make the God of the Bible do what you want.”
• “When Jesus told us to address our father ‘in heaven’ it was a command to look beyond the present realm.”
• “Most of us think of our own agenda when we pray; it usually does not occur to us that God has an agenda too.”
• “When you pray, ‘Your will be done’ it also means you accept His will.”
Finally, I believe this book serves as an excellent introduction for newer Christians who may not yet have a deep theological foundation, while also offering meaningful reminders for more mature believers who need to return to the basics. In that sense, THE LORD’S PRAYER is an accessible, practical, and spiritually enriching read for Christians at any stage of their walk.
April 9, 2019
An excellent exposition of the Lord’s prayer line by line with solid and authoritative teaching. A very compelling read and one that really changed my understanding and appreciation for this prayer. The section on forgiveness was very powerful, the clear teaching of total forgiveness and what it means for your relationship with Christ. I think this is one of those books that in a few years’ time I will read again and reaped more blessings from.
January 18, 2018
This book really is so good as it went through The Lord’s prayer and explained the importance of this beautiful prayer. I love R.t. Kendall’s writing style, and like “Total forgiveness” was this simple, practical and absolutely awesome ❤️
A MUST READ
A MUST READ
August 15, 2023
A comprehensive, yet short book on The Lord’s Prayer, the most important guide for prayer that we have from Jesus Himself. People have written volumes on these verses, but Kendall does a great job of making it simple, concise, and accessible any readers. Very encouraging, convicting, and important.
July 18, 2018
An excellent exposition on the Lord's Prayer.
June 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It is an excellent exposition of the Lord's Prayer. It was very insightful and I highly recommend it. I am a fan of R.T. Kendall's writings.
September 18, 2010
The Lord's Prayer. We all know it...but how often do we really stop and think about what we're actually saying when we recite it? Do we really mean what we're saying or understand the implications? This is the issue that Dr. R.T. Kendall tackles in his latest book, The Lord's Prayer: Insight and Inspiration to Draw You Closer to Him.
Dr. Kendall received his D.Phil. from Oxford University, was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years, and has received endorsements from a wide variety of pastors and theologians from all across the theological spectrum.
He insists that the Lord's Prayer must be done, not simply recited. He says that since it was verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Himself was it's author, it's perfectly worded. It's a revelation of how we should pray, mirroring God's will for His people. When Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, this prayer was His response (Luke 11: 1-4). Of course, it can be misused or prayed with wrong motives, but it is a perfect example of how we should pray.
Although it's excellent to pray it verbatim, it also serves as a pattern or model:
"It is a prayer to be prayed, but the words of the Lord's Prayer serve also as an outline of appropriate praying. We should see each line of the Lord's prayer-that is, each petition-as the solid foundation for truly worshipful and selfless praying. Thus, everything we say should be an extension, or filling out, to some degree, of every line in the Lord's Prayer. Our praying should build on the Lord's Prayer. How we enlarge on each petition, filling out each one in a way that faithfully reflects what Jesus meant, becomes a superstructure on that foundation. The Lord's Prayer therefore is the foundation; our own praying is the superstructure."
The book is divided into five sections:
Part 1: Focusing on God
Part 2: God's Prayer List
Part 3: God's Prayer List for Us
Part 4: A Chosen Benediction
Part 5: A Further Reason for the Lord's Prayer
In Part 1, Dr. Kendall lays the foundation of the nature and purpose of the prayer and discusses the opening lines. Parts 2 and 3 break the prayer down, line by line, examining the intent and meaning of each petition. Here, we see a familiar pattern. The first three petitions focus on God's glory, the second three are to our benefits, just as the Law had two tables, one focused on God, one on humankind.
Part 4 discusses the benediction, and in Part 5, he wraps the book up with an examination of Jesus' admonition to forgive others, given immediately after giving the prayer in Matthew 6: 14-15, which he calls Jesus' "P.S" to the prayer:
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive sins."
Refusing to forgive others keeps us from full intimacy with the Holy Spirit and participation in the Kingdom. For this reason, Dr. Kendall says that teaching about forgiving others is the greatest need in the church today. Jesus emphasized it, both in the prayer and immediately following it, because He knew we would need to hear it again and again. In order to fully receive the benefits of the Lord's Prayer, we must learn to practice forgiveness.
I've never read anything by Dr. Kendall before, but I did enjoy The Lord's Prayer. It's a good, solid exposition of the world's most well-known prayer. With his plainspoken style, he unpacked each line of the prayer in a simple, straight-forward manner. I know that all too often I've rattled it off without really giving much thought to what I was saying and it's definitely given me a deeper appreciation for the meaning behind the words.
I'm very appreciative for the review copy provided to me by Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Read more: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2...
Under Creative Commons License
Dr. Kendall received his D.Phil. from Oxford University, was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years, and has received endorsements from a wide variety of pastors and theologians from all across the theological spectrum.
He insists that the Lord's Prayer must be done, not simply recited. He says that since it was verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Himself was it's author, it's perfectly worded. It's a revelation of how we should pray, mirroring God's will for His people. When Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, this prayer was His response (Luke 11: 1-4). Of course, it can be misused or prayed with wrong motives, but it is a perfect example of how we should pray.
Although it's excellent to pray it verbatim, it also serves as a pattern or model:
"It is a prayer to be prayed, but the words of the Lord's Prayer serve also as an outline of appropriate praying. We should see each line of the Lord's prayer-that is, each petition-as the solid foundation for truly worshipful and selfless praying. Thus, everything we say should be an extension, or filling out, to some degree, of every line in the Lord's Prayer. Our praying should build on the Lord's Prayer. How we enlarge on each petition, filling out each one in a way that faithfully reflects what Jesus meant, becomes a superstructure on that foundation. The Lord's Prayer therefore is the foundation; our own praying is the superstructure."
The book is divided into five sections:
Part 1: Focusing on God
Part 2: God's Prayer List
Part 3: God's Prayer List for Us
Part 4: A Chosen Benediction
Part 5: A Further Reason for the Lord's Prayer
In Part 1, Dr. Kendall lays the foundation of the nature and purpose of the prayer and discusses the opening lines. Parts 2 and 3 break the prayer down, line by line, examining the intent and meaning of each petition. Here, we see a familiar pattern. The first three petitions focus on God's glory, the second three are to our benefits, just as the Law had two tables, one focused on God, one on humankind.
Part 4 discusses the benediction, and in Part 5, he wraps the book up with an examination of Jesus' admonition to forgive others, given immediately after giving the prayer in Matthew 6: 14-15, which he calls Jesus' "P.S" to the prayer:
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive sins."
Refusing to forgive others keeps us from full intimacy with the Holy Spirit and participation in the Kingdom. For this reason, Dr. Kendall says that teaching about forgiving others is the greatest need in the church today. Jesus emphasized it, both in the prayer and immediately following it, because He knew we would need to hear it again and again. In order to fully receive the benefits of the Lord's Prayer, we must learn to practice forgiveness.
I've never read anything by Dr. Kendall before, but I did enjoy The Lord's Prayer. It's a good, solid exposition of the world's most well-known prayer. With his plainspoken style, he unpacked each line of the prayer in a simple, straight-forward manner. I know that all too often I've rattled it off without really giving much thought to what I was saying and it's definitely given me a deeper appreciation for the meaning behind the words.
I'm very appreciative for the review copy provided to me by Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Read more: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2...
Under Creative Commons License
August 7, 2010
Title: THE LORD’S PRAYER
Author: R. T. Kendall
Publisher: Chosen
March 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007-9489-7
Genre: Inspirational/nonfiction/spiritual life
Most of us know The Lord’s Prayer by heart. Some of us say it at least once a week in our church services. But how many of us pray this prayer by rout, without paying much attention to what we are praying?
Dr. Kendall’s book THE LORD’S PRAYER will help transform the way you pray and live. The author takes us line through line of this familiar prayer, exploring what you are saying, what it means, but not only that but when and why you should pray The Lord’s Prayer, and how unanswered prayer could be a sign of God’s favor.
THE LORD’S PRAYER is divided up into five parts.
Part 1: Focusing on God
Part 2: God’s Prayer List
Part 3: God’s Prayer List for Us
Part 4: A Chosen Benediction
Part 5: A Further Reason for the Lord’s Prayer
This is a book that should be read and reread so you can grasp every phrase of this important guideline to prayer. In fact, Dr. Kendall himself suggests that when you read the last page, you close it and start rereading it again.
Dr. Kendall comes with a lot of endorsements, and one of these men mention that many Christians pray only briefly, like when their clergy instigates it during church services. Prayer is something that should be done “without ceasing.” God should be as real to us as the person sitting next to us, or the person you talk to next on the phone.
If you want to transform your prayer life and draw closer to God then THE LORD’S PRAYER is a book to consider. $13.99. 205 pages.
Author: R. T. Kendall
Publisher: Chosen
March 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007-9489-7
Genre: Inspirational/nonfiction/spiritual life
Most of us know The Lord’s Prayer by heart. Some of us say it at least once a week in our church services. But how many of us pray this prayer by rout, without paying much attention to what we are praying?
Dr. Kendall’s book THE LORD’S PRAYER will help transform the way you pray and live. The author takes us line through line of this familiar prayer, exploring what you are saying, what it means, but not only that but when and why you should pray The Lord’s Prayer, and how unanswered prayer could be a sign of God’s favor.
THE LORD’S PRAYER is divided up into five parts.
Part 1: Focusing on God
Part 2: God’s Prayer List
Part 3: God’s Prayer List for Us
Part 4: A Chosen Benediction
Part 5: A Further Reason for the Lord’s Prayer
This is a book that should be read and reread so you can grasp every phrase of this important guideline to prayer. In fact, Dr. Kendall himself suggests that when you read the last page, you close it and start rereading it again.
Dr. Kendall comes with a lot of endorsements, and one of these men mention that many Christians pray only briefly, like when their clergy instigates it during church services. Prayer is something that should be done “without ceasing.” God should be as real to us as the person sitting next to us, or the person you talk to next on the phone.
If you want to transform your prayer life and draw closer to God then THE LORD’S PRAYER is a book to consider. $13.99. 205 pages.
October 16, 2010
I found Lord's Prayer by R. T. Kendall to be not only thought-provoking, but a very good read. Books of this nature often tread the line between scholarly and popular works with very stilted prose. Kendall's writing has a clarity, flow, and freshness that brought new illumination to Jesus' model prayer about which millions of words have been written over the centuries.
I particularly liked Kendall's passages on the role of the Holy Spirit in "Thy kingdom come." He describes what that will mean to the church as God begins to move powerfully when our focus shifts from our own wills to His will.
I am not one to normally read the recommendations at a book's beginning, preferring for the book to stand on its own merits. I was struck by the diverse viewpoints of Christian leaders who could recommend this book, ranging from members of the Southern Baptist Convention to the current president of Oral Roberts University. I believes this speaks very powerfully about its contents.
I discovered Lord's Prayer by R. T. Kendall to be a life-giving book and not a recycled sermon you might find on a book table at a Christian conference. I believe as you read this book you'll have "aha moments" as I did. For some, it will shift prayer away from just personal petitions to unselfish prayer that yearns for God's will to be accomplished.
As a disclaimer, publisher Baker Publishing Company furnished a review copy of Lord's Prayer. The receipt a book in no way affected my review.
I particularly liked Kendall's passages on the role of the Holy Spirit in "Thy kingdom come." He describes what that will mean to the church as God begins to move powerfully when our focus shifts from our own wills to His will.
I am not one to normally read the recommendations at a book's beginning, preferring for the book to stand on its own merits. I was struck by the diverse viewpoints of Christian leaders who could recommend this book, ranging from members of the Southern Baptist Convention to the current president of Oral Roberts University. I believes this speaks very powerfully about its contents.
I discovered Lord's Prayer by R. T. Kendall to be a life-giving book and not a recycled sermon you might find on a book table at a Christian conference. I believe as you read this book you'll have "aha moments" as I did. For some, it will shift prayer away from just personal petitions to unselfish prayer that yearns for God's will to be accomplished.
As a disclaimer, publisher Baker Publishing Company furnished a review copy of Lord's Prayer. The receipt a book in no way affected my review.
December 28, 2012
The Lord's Prayer might be the best known prayer around the world, but few people understand its meaning and scope. This is what this book is about - a profound study by Minister Kendall, which has the possibility of causing a huge change in people's lives by the understanding of our identity as Christians, as well as our responsibilities as church, one of which is making the name of God be honored, and living in true forgiveness. But without the true freedom that comes from knowing God and developing a relationship with Him, this cannot be attained. This book is an invitation to make prayer personal and to pray from the heart. This brings me to mention that the author emphasizes the need to go back to the Bible; reading, studying and meditating on it are the sure paths to get to know God and develop a close relationship with Him.
Another asset of this book is Mr. Kendall's explanation of concepts, according to their meaning and usage in the languages the Bible was written in. This fact gives a solid foundation to his exposition of the Lord's Prayer, as it is not based on a personal opinion; neither does he try to fit it within any particular doctrine. It might be a slow read, but just because of all the revelation and insight there is to grasp.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for review. This, however, does not bias my opinion on the book nor on the author.
Another asset of this book is Mr. Kendall's explanation of concepts, according to their meaning and usage in the languages the Bible was written in. This fact gives a solid foundation to his exposition of the Lord's Prayer, as it is not based on a personal opinion; neither does he try to fit it within any particular doctrine. It might be a slow read, but just because of all the revelation and insight there is to grasp.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for review. This, however, does not bias my opinion on the book nor on the author.
September 5, 2010
The Lord's Prayer by R.T. Kendall is and insightful and thought-provoking look at a prayer we've all know by heart. How many times have you said the Lord's Prayer? Now how often have you taken the time to truly think about the words you are saying and what you are asking of God? Kendall breaks the prayer down phrase by phrase and analyzes what Jesus' intent was in asking us to pray those specific words and what they mean for us today. From acknowledging God as our Father and Lord to accepting His will be done to asking for our daily needs and releasing our sins as well as others, each chapter covers a specific area of our life that is covered by this well-known prayer. Kendall encourages its use in the church regularly, as well as frequent personal use, because the prayer really does take care of all our needs, spiritual, physical, material, and emotional. Kendall pays extra attention to the forgiveness of others (as we forgive those who trespass against us), because not only is it in the original prayer, but Jesus addresses it again after he gives the prayer to the disciples. He gives this two thousand year old prayer new life and readers will never say it mindlessly again.
May 14, 2016
Powerful! RT Kendall did an amazing job going through every part of the Lord's Prayer and the P.S. by Jesus Matthew 6:14-15.
I will pray this prayer every day.... Sometimes several times a day and hopefully, I will pray it from my heart and not by vain repetition.
Mr. Kendall teaches us how to use the framework of this prayer to pray it in our words from our own heart.
This is a book one should read more than once.
I will pray this prayer every day.... Sometimes several times a day and hopefully, I will pray it from my heart and not by vain repetition.
Mr. Kendall teaches us how to use the framework of this prayer to pray it in our words from our own heart.
This is a book one should read more than once.
April 22, 2013
RT Kendall's book on The Lord's Prayer is definitely worth the time. I was encouraged and instructed by reading it. It is not hard to read and Kendall is very down to earth yet scholarly. He was the pastor at Westminister Church in London but grew up in the hills of Kentucky so he has an interesting history.
June 22, 2015
This was really useful for a church service I did on the Lord's Prayer but I don't agree with all the theology in it. Why is it that some Christians need to obsess about matters sexual - they aren't the worst sins in the world by a long, long way. And I don't share his views about Hell and the Devil. Still a lot of good stuff in there too.
July 13, 2013
RT kendall is big on forgiveness which after all is the essence of the message of the Bible and the Lord's prayer. This book covers it all very well.
June 18, 2024
I listened to this book on Audible as I’d read it a couple of times before. It’s worth a read, showing us how to re-order our prayer lives in line with how Jesus taught us how to pray.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews