How To Pray

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

Religion, Religion & Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Christianity, Spirituality

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 29 December 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What’s ironic is the Lord’s Prayer has probably the most familiar words in the English language, and yet it is the secret to what you seek. We’re so tired of technology, of quantifying everything, of being a number. At the core of our being, we need and we desperately want real soul experience. And how to have it is right in front of us. Jesus Christ taught it to us in the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “This is how to pray. This is the key.” I must say that one of the reasons why we don’t know how to use it is because this prayer is so familiar. But it tells you everything you need to know about communication with God. Looking at just one verse, we see how Jesus shows us 1) the difficulty of prayer, 2) the basis of prayer, and 3) the essence of prayer. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 6, 1990. Series: The Lord’s Prayer 1990. Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Gospel and Life.
0:05.9	In a world that leaves us exhausted, distracted, and searching for meaning, Jesus gives
0:11.6	us the Lord's Prayer as a guide to true connection with God.
0:14.9	Join us today as Tim Keller shows us why the Lord's Prayer isn't just a ritual to recite,
0:20.2	but a pathway to deeper communion with God.
0:29.4	Our scripture reading is found in the Gospel of Matthew. We're in the Sermon on the Mount,
0:34.6	and we come into chapter 6, and we're going to read about what Jesus
0:39.1	teaches regarding prayer. And I would like to read verses 9 through 15. Very familiar, very familiar.
0:49.7	This is where Jesus explains and gives to us the model of the Lord's Prayer.
0:56.1	This then is how you should pray.
0:59.2	Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
1:02.5	Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
1:07.5	Give us today our daily bread.
1:10.1	Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors,
1:13.9	and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when
1:20.9	they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men,
1:26.4	their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.
1:30.8	This is God's word.
1:34.7	We've been going through the sermon on the Mount, and today we come to the subject of prayer.
1:38.6	First question, why talk about prayer?
1:44.0	Isn't that a subject that might be okay for very religious people?
1:49.0	But for the average person, for most people, isn't that a fairly impractical and unimportant
	...

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