What if the prayer Jesus taught wasn’t just words to repeat, but a blueprint for transforming your mind and life?
When Jesus was asked how to pray, he began with these words:
“Our Father in heaven.”
He taught us to pray to our Father—not just his, but yours and mine as well. We are all children of the Father. He does not have only one child.
And where is the Father? In heaven.
But Jesus doesn’t define heaven in this prayer. He simply states that it exists.
What does “Father” really mean?
Bible scholars believe that when Jesus used the Greek word patēr (Father), he was actually referring to the Aramaic word Abba, which has a deeper meaning.
- Patēr is more formal—like saying “Father.”
- Abba is intimate—like calling Him Dad or Daddy.
It carries a sense of closeness, love, and trust. Jesus wasn’t just telling us to pray to a distant ruler—He was inviting us into a personal relationship with the Father.
“Hallowed be Your name.”
This means holy is Your name.
In ancient times, knowing someone’s name meant having a form of control or power over them. That’s why God’s name is considered beyond human understanding.
- The moment you name something, you define it.
- When you define something, you limit it.
But God is unlimited. He cannot fit inside any definition, not even one created by the smartest human mind.
Jesus never says God reveals His name.
So if a being appears and gives you a name, claiming to be God, that’s not the true Father.
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
This part is deeply connected to an ancient idea:
“That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.”
This comes from Hermetic philosophy, which teaches that everything is connected.
But an older version of this phrase translates slightly differently:
“That which is above comes from that which is below, and that which is below comes from that which is above.”
This version makes more sense in Jesus’ teachings.
- Heaven is not separate from us.
- We are not just waiting for God’s kingdom to arrive.
- Instead, we are bringing it down through our thoughts, words, and actions.
What we see, hear, and do shapes the story of heaven itself.
What is “God’s Kingdom”?
When Jesus said, “Your kingdom come,” what was he talking about?
Many people picture a palace or throne—but Jesus taught that the kingdom is not a physical place.
Where is the kingdom?
Inside us.
We know this because in the Gospel of Mary, Jesus says:
“Where the mind is, there is the treasure.”
A kingdom is full of treasures—so this means that the kingdom is found in our thoughts.
It is in our:
- Knowledge (learning and understanding).
- Discernment (knowing truth from falsehood).
- Awareness (being conscious of ourselves and others).
- Brotherhood and sisterhood (seeing all people as connected).
Bringing God’s kingdom to earth means awakening to these truths and living by them.
“Give us today our daily bread.”
“Give us.” This is a request—it means asking, seeking, calling out.
But what are we really asking for?
- New knowledge
- New lessons
- New experiences
- New thoughts
Jesus was a teacher. His teachings were about learning and unlearning—letting go of old beliefs and seeing the world with fresh eyes every day.
Just like our bodies need food, our minds and souls need daily nourishment too.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
This is about forgiveness—but not just in the way we usually think of it.
Yes, it means forgiving others. But it also means freeing ourselves from the thoughts that hold us back.
What debts do we carry?
- Regrets from the past
- Fear of the future
- Resentments that occupy our mind
When we hold onto negativity, we become tied to it.
Forgiveness is like a pair of scissors that cuts us free.
- Forgiving others releases them from our anger.
- Forgiving ourselves releases us from guilt and regret.
By cutting these ties, we become present, awake, and free.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
This is a powerful call—not just for protection, but for control over our own minds.
Jesus teaches that the kingdom is within us, but so is temptation.
What is temptation?
- It is the mind creating endless needs.
- It is chasing things outside of ourselves to feel whole.
- It is believing that the next achievement, next possession, or next desire will finally bring happiness.
But temptation never stops.
- Fulfill one craving, and another takes its place.
- Gain one thing, and suddenly you want more.
The mind is infinite, just like the universe. We can easily get lost inside it.
This is why Jesus says:
“Come to know yourself.”
When we lose ourselves in temptation, we forget who we are.
So this prayer is asking:
- Help me stay focused.
- Help me not be deceived by illusions.
- Help me remember what is real.
Because outside is temptation.
Inside is truth.
A Personal Reflection
This is what my mind recognizes when I read this prayer.
But the beauty of the prayer is that it speaks to each person differently.
When you read it, your mind may uncover a different meaning.
And that is the beauty of seeking—truth is alive, always growing within us.
“The Name is beyond name,
for to name it is to bind it.
The Kingdom is not built with hands,
but unfolds within the mind.
The bread is not of the body,
but the wisdom that nourishes the soul.
Forgiveness is the blade
that severs the chains of illusion.
Temptation is the shadow
of a mind lost in its own creation.
To awaken is to remember—
that heaven is not above, nor earth below,
but both are written in the same breath.”