Just Teach Sheet Seekers August Week 4

Seeker Track – Just Teach Sheet

Week 4: The Our Father – A Prayer for Beginners
August Theme: Prayer & Personal Relationship with God
Audience: Seekers, returning Catholics, or those exploring Christianity
Focus: The Our Father is the prayer Jesus Himself taught. To pray it is to begin speaking to God as a child speaks to a loving Father.

Weekly Goal

Discover that prayer isn’t complicated. Jesus gave us words to start with. Saying the Our Father means entering into His own relationship with God.

What You’ll Need

This sheet

A Bible (or print Matthew 6:9–13)

Opening Prayer (Say daily)

Father in Heaven,
I want to know You more.
Thank You for sending Jesus to teach us to pray.
Help me say these words with love,
and open my heart to You. Amen.

�� Day 1 – Jesus Teaches Us to Pray

Teaching:
The disciples once said: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). In response, Jesus gave the Our Father. These words are His gift to every follower.

�� Matthew 6:9 – “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

�� Reflection:
When you say these words, you are not praying alone. You are joining millions of Christians, everywhere and always, in the very words of Christ.

Practice:
Read the Our Father aloud, slowly, once a day this week.

�� Day 2 – “Our Father”

Teaching:
Jesus invites us to call God “Father.” This is not cold or distant — but close, tender, and loving. And notice it says Our Father. Christianity is not a private religion. To be Christian is to belong to God’s family, the Church.

�� Romans 8:15 – “You received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”

�� Reflection:
To call God Father means you are His child. Whatever your earthly family is like, God the Father’s love is faithful and unchanging.

Practice:
Say aloud once today: “God, You are my Father. I am Your child.”

�� Day 3 – “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done”

Teaching:
This means: “God, I want Your plan, not just mine.” It’s a prayer of trust. Instead of trying to control everything, we surrender to God’s loving will.

�� Matthew 6:10 – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

�� Reflection:
This is not easy! It means believing that God’s way is better than my way, even when I don’t understand it.

Practice:
Think of one area in your life where you feel uncertain. Pray: “Father, let Your will be done.”

�� Day 4 – “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

Teaching:
This prayer is simple: “Father, provide for me today.” It reminds us we depend on God for everything. For Catholics, it also points to the Eucharist — the Bread of Life.

�� John 6:35 – “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me shall not hunger.”

�� Reflection:
God doesn’t promise to give us everything we want — but everything we need.

Practice:
Make a short list: “Today, Lord, I need….” Offer it to Him.

��️ Day 5 – Forgiveness & Protection

Teaching:
The prayer continues: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus links God forgiving us with us forgiving others. It also asks God to protect us from temptation and evil.

�� Matthew 6:12–13 – “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

�� Reflection:
This prayer makes us honest. Do I need to forgive someone? Do I need God’s forgiveness? Both go together.

Practice:
Say aloud: “Father, forgive me. Help me forgive others.”

Weekend Wrap-Up – A Lifelong Prayer

Questions to reflect on:

Which line of the Our Father touches me most?

What does it mean that Jesus gave this prayer to His followers?

Am I willing to pray it each day, slowly and sincerely?

✍️ Journal Prompts

“This week, the line of the Our Father that means most to me is…”

Apologetics for Seekers

Q: “Why pray words that are written down instead of just speaking freely?”
A: Both are important. Jesus Himself gave us these words — so they are safe, true, and powerful. They teach us how to pray, even when we don’t know what to say. Free prayer and set prayer belong together.

Q: “Why do Catholics connect this prayer to the Mass?”
A: At every Mass, Catholics pray the Our Father together. It prepares us to receive the Eucharist — the true “Daily Bread” Jesus promised.

Optional Extension

Read CCC 2759–2776 (on the Our Father).
Notice how the Catechism calls it the “summary of the whole Gospel.” Reflect: This is not a small prayer — it’s the heart of the Christian life.