This was not given as a prayer to be repeated.   
It may have been given as a pattern for prayer.   
But, it absolutely served to emphasize what is important in prayer.   

As we all know some Christians have taken the prayer as the literal words to be used when praying.   Many of them have even chanted these words.   

Even those who do not do `Our Fathers` have placed as inordinate value on the words and phrases as if they have in themselves some intrinsic power.   

You can see detailed notes on the prayer by clicking on the Lord`sPrayer.   

Many protestants in particular have come up with other formulaic prayers which serve a purpose just as the Lord`sPrayer does.   

He also taught us not to be repetitive in prayer.   That means we don`t repeat and we don`t ask others to repeat.   

What are we to do then?   

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Mat 7:7 Jesus is teaching about faith.   To ask effectively you must speak what you desire and you must believe that you will receive. When we seek we must seek in faith so that we will recognize what we are seeking when we see it. When we knock we must expect the door to be opened and we must be prepared to enter in confidence.

What I want to focus on in this article is how prayer has been perverted.   I am not going to speak about wrong words or phrases.   The focus of the remainder of this article is the actual purpose of prayer.   

Fundamentally, I believe prayer is to prepare .   By this I mean that prayer is to connect the Word Of The Lord with the Spirit Of The Lord in a person`s heart.   
   → The Word Of The Lord tells us the Lord`s will.   
   → The Spirit Of The Lord empowers His will.   
   → The Body Of The Lord effects His will.   

We can all agree with the above when we understand that the Lord is Christ Jesus.   Essentially, Jesus is the incarnated Word, filled with the Holy Spirit, doing the will of the Holy Spirit perfectly.   

We, however, may not all agree with the above when we understand that the Lord manifests Himself in the world today through the church - the Body Of Christ.   

Specifically, our differences would be on the third point
   → The church effects the will of the Lord.   

There have been generations of Christians who pray long, fervent prayers for the Lord to do things unilaterally.   

What do I mean by this?   
   → Those prayers are asking the Lord to do something.   

What is wrong with that?    Jesus has done all He is going to do until He returns.   
   → He has given us His authority (Word) and
   → He has given us His power (Holy Spirit)
   → He has commanded us to go forth in His Name.   

So, whenever we are praying for the Lord to do what He has commanded us to do we have perverted the purpose of prayer.   

The reason prayer became perverted in Christianity is unbelief.   Christians simply have not believed the Word Of The Lord.   
   → they do not believe `ask and receive`
   → they do not believe `stay...until you receive the HolySpirit`
   → they do not believe `greater works than these shall you do`
   → they do not believe they are `more than conquerors`
   → they do not believe that the same Spirit that raised Christ is in them
among other things.   

Accordingly, if you are weak you call on Him who is strong.   

The best way to ruin (spoil) a child is to do for them what they can do for themselves.   As much as our Lord loves us, He will not spoil us.   

So, while we are crying `Lord do something`, `Lord do something`, `Lord do something`, He is shaking His head in disappointment.   

The reason I can say this in confidence that it is a message from the Holy Spirit to the church today is the following statement by our Lord Jesus Christ.   

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.   Nevertheless when the SonOfMan comes, shall he find faith on the earth? Luk 18:8 The faith that Christ Jesus will be looking for at His return is not just faith in His person, but faith in His Word. The power of the HolySpirit is released by faith in His Word.    Jesus commanded His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received His power - His HolySpirit.   But the HolySpirit only works in us to the extent that we allow the His Word to transform our minds. Jesus made it clear that only those who lived in His Word were truly His disciples Joh 8:31. The HolySpirit loves His weak and impotent children in the same fashion parents love their disabled child. But just as those parents would wish for their child to be able to pursue life and be successful, so does our heavenly Father. A powerful life is a SpiritFilled life of pure HeartFaith in the WordOfTheLord. Now are we the SonsOfTheHolySpirit 1Jn 3:2.

Jesus derided His disciples for their lack of faith.   He is not a respecter of persons, so, were He here in person, He would be deriding most believers for their unbelief.   

Stop asking the Lord to spoil you by doing what you have the power and authority to do yourself.   Those prayers are wasted.   

Remember point two of the Lord`Prayer pointed out above:
   → Submit to His will

If we will submit to His will and become Living Sacrifices we will see His will accomplished in our lives and on earth as it is in heaven.   

It is also significant to note that Jesus almost always went alone to pray.   This was for preparation for the work ahead of Him.   

The healings, deliverances and miracles Jesus did were never directly preceded by prayer.   

When Peter and John brought healing to the lame man at the gate, it was not directly preceded by prayer.   

So, we have conventions that are ingrained in the church for which there are no patterns in scripture.   This is always a bad sign.   

When we follow the patterns that are in scripture and we do not see the expected results it indicates a lack of preparation.   

Jesus told His disciples that the unbelief which kept them from delivering the demoniac would only be removed by prayer and fasting - preparation.   

Learn to prepare yourself in prayer and meditation on the Word so that when the challenge comes, you are able to meet it in faith that the need has already been met.   

Remember, signs follow believers.   Be a believer.   

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mar 16:17 Jesus tells us that we will operate in His power to do signs and wonders, to exorcise demons and to speak in new tongues (PrayerLanguage and messages in tongues).

Lastly, if you are not baptized with the Holy Spirit, you are not equipped to implement the will of the Lord on this earth.   

Many nominal churches deny Spirit Baptism are therefore impotent.   

Many believers have not pursued Spirit Baptism and are therefore impotent.   

If we are to see the will of the Lord done on this earth as it is in heaven, before Jesus returns, it will be the result of the Holy Spirit Of Christ Jesus manifesting in authority and power through His brothers.   

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says unto them, Receive you the HolySpirit: Joh 20:22 Everything Jesus said and did was by His HolySpiritFather Joh 14:10. Jesus prayed that we would be one with His HolySpirit Joh 17:11. The Disciples did not receive the HolySpirit immediately.   Acts 2:1-4 Jesus breathed upon them as a sign that the HolySpirit would be invisble and would be the breath of spiritual life in us empowering us to go out into the world with the Gospel.

When you are Spirit Baptised you will receive the gift of the Prayer Language which will enable you to reach levels of spiritual maturity otherwise unattainable.