The Lord's Prayer:
The Way of Life

As a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University, my research explores the pattern of prayer given by Jesus, commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer, as both a theological and practical framework for spiritual formation and communal discipleship. Grounded in the teachings of Jesus, this work seeks to uncover the prayer’s meaning, theological depth, and structural significance, with particular attention to its Jewish roots and the practical reception of the early church. My doctoral project (The Way of Life: The Lord’s Prayer as a Path and Framework) includes the development of an eight-week curriculum and a publishable dissertation that integrates biblical scholarship, historical theology, and practical ministry application.

An Opportunity to Support

The total cost of this three-year program is $10,800. As a father of three navigating new medical challenges following a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, affording this program has brought added strain.

If you're willing to support this journey, contributions can be made directly through the Kairos University site using the form below.

• Student Name: Jeffrey McLain

• Student ID: 6760 (Mention in Comments)

• Link: Payment on Student Account

Ongoing Research

On this website, I document my theological reflections, fieldwork insights, and reviews of key texts related to my research. This practice reflects my commitment to transparency, the open sharing of findings, and the accessibility of resources for other academic and ministry contexts. This is regularly updated.

Commentary Research

These are notes, highlights, and quotes on the Lord's Prayer from commentaries and theological resources that I have read and researched for my doctoral studies.

• Matthew (Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Grant R. Osborne

• Luke: The Gospel of the Son of Man (Everyman's Bible Commentary) by G. Coleman Luck

• Matthew (Everyman's Bible Commentary) by Arthur Robertson

• Matthew (Softcover Edition of the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary) by Michael J. Wilkins

• Journey Through the New Testament (A Church Answers Resource) by William F. Cook III

• Matthew (The Preacher's Commentary) by Myron Augsburger 

• Matthew (Expositional Commentaries) by R.C. Sproul

Patristic & Early Church Research

These are notes, highlights, and quotes on the Lord's Prayer from the Patristics and early church resources that I have read and researched for my doctoral studies.

• The Didache (CrossReach Publications) translated by Kirsopp Lake

• Didache (A New Translation in Standard English With Commentary) translated by Nick Frank

• Tertullian, Cyprian & Origen On the Lord's Prayer (Popular Patristics Series) translated by Alistar Stewart-Sykes

On the Lord's Prayer

These are notes, highlights, and quotes from materials I’ve read and researched for my doctoral studies that are directly or indirectly focused on the Lord’s Prayer.

• Building A Discipling Culture (Definitive Prayer) by Mike Breen and the 3DM Team 

• Lord, Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer & The Christian Life by William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauwerwas

• The Lord's Prayers by Elton Trueblood

• Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton

• The Lord & His Prayer by N.T. Wright

• Praying Like Jesus: The Lord's Prayer in a Culture of Prosperity by James Mulholland

• How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Greig

• Lord, Teach Us To Pray by John C. Purdy

• Quotes from John Wimber on the Lord's Prayer

• Reflections on the Lord's Prayer (Timeless Faith Classics) by Various Authors

• Praying with Power (The Lord's Prayer) by John Ortberg

• The Lord's Prayer for Today by William J. Carl III

• The Great House of God by Max Lucado

• The Lord's Prayer from the Didache 

• Quotes from C.S. Lewis on the Lord's Prayer

• All the Prayers of the Bible (Lord’s Prayer) by Herbert Lockyear

• The 21 Most Effective Prayers of the Bible (Lord's Prayer) by Dave Earley

• Revival Starts Here by Dave Clayton

Other Related Research

These are notes, highlights, and quotes from materials I’ve read and researched for my doctoral studies that are not directly focused on the Lord’s Prayer.

• Researching Practice in Ministry and Mission: A Companion by Helen Cameron and Catherine Duce 

• Excellence in Teaching with the Seven Laws by Carl Shafer

• Prayers Mirroring and Influenced By the Lord's Prayer (A Collection) by Various

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

• A Personal Ministry Philosophy - One Key to Effective Leadership by J. Robert Clinton

• Reading on the Run (Leadership Series) by J. Robert Clinton

Research Resources

These are resources I have developed during researching and/ or utilized aspects of my research.

• Seven Intercessory Prayer Prompts. These are prayer prompts I developed around the Lord's Prayer for our Guests at Water Street Mission.

• The Rhythm of Prayer: A Sunday morning series at River Corner Church looking into the transformative experience of prayer, focusing on the Lord’s Prayer to cultivate greater intentionality, intimacy, and illumination, seeking a rejuvenated prayer discipline that sustains spiritual renewal and challenges traditional, duty-bound approaches.

• A Book Review Template. This is a template I follow when reviewing the resources I encounter in my research.