Lord’s Prayer: Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Versions

Anyone who’s grown up in a Christian household likely knows the Lord’s Prayer by heart—even if they’ve never thought much about where it comes from. But this short prayer, taught by Jesus himself in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, actually appears in several distinct versions across Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions. The differences run deeper than just a few words: they reflect centuries of manuscript history, translation choices, and liturgical practice. Here’s what each tradition recites and why it matters.

Versions in major traditions: 3 (Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox) ·
Biblical source chapters: Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4 ·
Petitions in the prayer: 7 ·
Words in common English version (KJV): 67

Here is a quick summary of the key numerical facts about the Lord’s Prayer.

What is the full version of the Lord’s Prayer?

Text of the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

The most widely recognized version of the Lord’s Prayer is found in the Gospel of Matthew, part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The King James Version reads: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Bible Gateway, a biblical text provider) This version, containing seven petitions, is the standard for many Protestant denominations (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Text of the Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

A shorter version appears in Luke’s Gospel: “Father, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Bible Gateway, a biblical text provider) Luke’s account omits the doxology and some petitions, suggesting Jesus taught the prayer in a more condensed form for different occasions (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Bottom line: The Lord’s Prayer appears in two biblical versions—Matthew’s longer form (with seven petitions and the doxology) and Luke’s shorter form (fewer petitions, no doxology). For Christians seeking the full traditional text, Matthew 6:9-13 in the KJV is the standard reference.

Is Matthew 6:9-13 the Lord’s Prayer?

Why Matthew 6:9-13 is the primary source

Matthew 6:9-13 is the most widely recognized source for the Lord’s Prayer (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). It appears within the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), where Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in contrast to the hypocritical prayers of the Pharisees (Bible Gateway, a biblical text provider). The prayer was given after a disciple said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

Differences between Matthew and Luke versions

Luke 11:2-4 provides a shorter version with different wording. For example, Matthew uses “debts” while Luke uses “sins.” Matthew includes the doxology (“For thine is the kingdom…”) in later manuscripts, while Luke omits it entirely (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Biblical scholars suggest the two accounts reflect separate liturgical traditions: Matthew’s version was likely used in a Jewish-Christian setting, while Luke’s was aimed at a Gentile audience (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

The implication: The prayer’s dual biblical attestation shows it was central to early Christian worship, but the precise wording was never fixed in a single canonical form.

Is there a Catholic version of the Lord’s Prayer?

Catholic version of the Lord’s Prayer

The Catholic Church uses the form: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Vatican, the Holy See’s official website) In the Mass, the prayer ends at “deliver us from evil”; the doxology (“For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever”) is recited separately by the congregation as an acclamation (Catholic Answers, a Catholic apologetics ministry).

Protestant version of the Lord’s Prayer

Most Protestant traditions use the same Matthean text but often include the doxology as part of the prayer itself. The Common English Bible (CEB) rendition reads: “Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name… And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Because the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) The doxology is drawn from the Didache, an early Christian text, and was solidified in English worship through the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Key differences between Catholic and Protestant versions

Three main contrasts: (1) the opening—Catholic uses “who art in heaven,” Protestant often “who is in heaven”; (2) the petition for forgiveness—Catholic says “trespasses,” Protestant often says “debts” or “sins”; (3) the doxology—Catholic positions it as a separate acclamation, Protestant includes it as the prayer’s conclusion (Shared Veracity, a religious commentary site). The Catholic Church notes that the doxology was not part of the original prayer but is a very ancient addition from the Didache (Catholic Diocese of New Hampshire, a Catholic diocesan authority).

Four traditions, one core prayer—here’s how they line up.

The pattern: both practices reflect different emphases on the prayer’s liturgical versus biblical context.

What is the full version of the Lord’s Prayer?

The Lord’s Prayer full version (Catholic)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the full text as used in the liturgy: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Vatican, the Holy See’s official website — Catechism of the Catholic Church) The doxology follows as a separate congregational acclamation.

The Lord’s Prayer full version (Protestant)

Most Protestant Bibles, including the KJV and NIV, present the prayer with the doxology included. The New International Version reads: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Bible Gateway, a biblical text provider — NIV)

The Lord’s Prayer full version (KJV)

The King James Version, widely used in English-speaking Protestantism, provides the same doxology-inclusive text as quoted earlier. It remains the standard for many Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal churches (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). All versions share the core petitions: honoring God’s name, seeking his kingdom, requesting daily provision, asking for forgiveness, and seeking deliverance from evil.

Why does the doxology differ between traditions?

Manuscript evidence for the doxology

Some Greek manuscripts of Matthew contain the doxology after the Lord’s Prayer, while others do not (Catholic Diocese of New Hampshire, a Catholic diocesan authority). St. Jerome, when translating the New Testament into Latin for the Vulgate, used a Greek manuscript that lacked the doxology, and that shorter form entered the Latin liturgy and private prayer (Catholic Diocese of New Hampshire, a Catholic diocesan authority).

Liturgical development of the doxology

The Didache, an early Christian text dating to around 60 AD, includes a doxology-like ending: “For Thine is the power and the glory forever.” (Catholic Diocese of New Hampshire, a Catholic diocesan authority) Many Protestant traditions adopted this ending as the natural conclusion of the prayer, while the Catholic Church kept it as a separate acclamation to preserve the biblical text’s ending. The Eastern Orthodox version adds a Trinitarian formula: “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.” (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Bottom line: The doxology is not a Protestant invention—it predates the Reformation by over a millennium. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians all use a form of it; they just place it differently within worship.

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

— Matthew 6:9-13, as recited in the Catholic liturgy (Vatican, the Holy See’s official website)

“The Lord’s Prayer is the summary of the whole Gospel.”

— Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2761 (Vatican, the Holy See’s official website)

“For Thine is the power and the glory forever.”

— The Didache, Chapter 8 (Catholic Diocese of New Hampshire, a Catholic diocesan authority)

The implication: the very existence of multiple versions testifies to the prayer’s deep embeddedness in living worship across centuries and cultures.