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Smart. Sporty. Weird. Popular. Try-hard. Loser. Pretty. So many labels get stuck on people your age, from social media, from friends and from grades at school. Some of them are loud. Some of them stick. And most of them keep changing: likes go up and down, friends change, marks change. If your worth depended on those labels, how secure would you feel?
This term we're asking "Who am I?" Today you're going to hear a different voice: the one who made you. Then you'll learn how to talk back to him. Here's the big idea: you don't pray to impress God. You pray to a Father who already knows you, made you and calls you his own.
What you'll learn
- What God says about who you are, compared with what the world says
- The difference between praying to perform and praying to talk
- What each line of the Lord's Prayer means, and how to use it to pray in your own words
Who God says you are
God's view of you is based on what he has done, not on what you perform. Psalm 139 says:
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar." (Psalm 139:1–2)
And in Ephesians, Paul writes to ordinary believers, not super-Christians:
"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life." (Ephesians 2:8–10)
Put those passages next to the world's labels, and see what happens:
| God says you are… | Verse | The world's label it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Fully known, and still loved | Psalm 139:1–4 | "Nobody gets me" |
| Never out of his reach | Psalm 139:7–10 | "I'm on my own" |
| Made on purpose, "fearfully and wonderfully" | Psalm 139:13–14 | "Ugly", "not enough" |
| Chosen and adopted as his child | Ephesians 1:4–5 | "Left out", "not picked" |
| Forgiven by grace, not earned | Ephesians 1:7; 2:8–9 | "Only as good as my marks" |
| His handiwork, made for good things | Ephesians 2:10 | "Useless", "loser" |
Imagine sticking God's words right over the top of the world's labels. Salvation is a gift, "not by works". That's completely different from how grades or social media work.
So here's the question: if God already knows everything about you and calls you his child, how should you talk to him? Do you need to put on a show?
Performing or talking?
Jesus warned people about praying "to be seen" by others, and about babbling on with lots of words, as if God would be impressed. Then he said something wonderful:
"And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7–8)
That links straight back to Psalm 139. God already knows you. Prayer isn't a performance. It's an honest conversation with your Father.
The Lord's Prayer, line by line
Next, Jesus gives his followers a pattern for talking with God as his children, not a script for showing off. You'll find it in Matthew 6:9–13.
| Line | What it means | Link to who you are |
|---|---|---|
| "Our Father in heaven" | We talk to God as a loving dad, not a distant boss. | You are his adopted child (Ephesians 1:5). |
| "Hallowed be your name" | We start with who God is: holy, good and worth honouring. | My worth comes from him, not my image. |
| "Your kingdom come, your will be done" | We ask for God's way to win, in the world and in me. | I'm made for his good works (Ephesians 2:10). |
| "Give us today our daily bread" | We can ask for ordinary, everyday needs. | He knows what I need (Psalm 139; Matthew 6:8). |
| "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" | We are honest about our wrongs, and forgive others. | Forgiven by grace, not earned (Ephesians 1:7). |
| "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" | We ask for help and protection when life is hard. | He is never far from me (Psalm 139:7–10). |
A few things to notice:
- It says "our", not "my". Prayer is personal, and it's also shared with God's family.
- It is short. Jesus didn't need fancy words, so neither do you.
- It moves from God first to our needs. That's a pattern, not a rule.
- You can pray it word for word, or use each line as a starting point for your own words.
Your own prayer
You can use the shape of the Lord's Prayer to pray in your own words:
- Father… How do you want to address God?
- You are… One thing about God you're thankful for.
- Your way… Somewhere you want God's way to win (school, family, friends).
- I need… One everyday thing you need.
- Forgive me / help me forgive… Be honest.
- Thank you that I am… Choose one truth from the "God says you are" list.
Here's what that might sound like:
Father, thank you that you know me completely. Help your way win at my school this week. I need help with my maths test. Forgive me for snapping at my brother, and help me forgive the people who left me out. Thank you that I'm your child, even when my marks aren't great. Amen.
Spelling and "right words" don't matter. God isn't marking it. And there's no "right" way to sound when you pray. If you're not sure about faith, you could write what you would want to say to God if he's listening.
Who God says I am
- Fully known, and still loved (Psalm 139:1–4).
- His child, who can talk to him as Father (Matthew 6:9).
Key words
- Hallowed: holy, set apart, treated as special.
- Kingdom: God's rule as King.
- Debts: here, the wrongs we owe God for.
- Grace: God's kindness that we don't earn and don't deserve.
How this points to Jesus
Jesus is God's Son, and he talked to God as "Father". The amazing thing is that he invites his followers to do the same. Through Jesus, people are adopted into God's family, so they can come to God not as strangers trying to impress him, but as children talking to their Dad.
Think about it
Psalm 139 says God knows everything about you, even your thoughts. Is that scary or comforting?Show answer
It could feel scary, but Psalm 139 shows it's comforting: God knows everything about you and still loves you, so you never have to pretend with him.
What is the difference between performing a prayer and having a conversation with God?Show answer
Performing is trying to impress God or other people with fancy words. A conversation is talking honestly to a Father who already knows you.
Why do you think the Lord's Prayer starts with God before it gets to our needs?Show answer
Remembering who God is first puts everything else in place. It reminds us we're talking to a good, holy Father who can be trusted with our needs.
Take it further
Take-home challenge: pray one line of the Lord's Prayer each day this week, in your own words. Your worksheet helps you work through the labels, God's words, and your own prayer.
If you'd like to, you could pray the Lord's Prayer slowly, pausing after each line.