Lord's Day 52

Devotion

The act of prayer is a humbling one. It finds us on our knees, if not physically, then spiritually, seeking all that we need from the hands of God. There can be no pride in prayer, no arrogance or self-determination. We simply come, submitting ourselves to the goodness and grace God provides as our daily bread. In doing so, we give glory and praise to God alone, for He hears and answers our prayer.

The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer is an assurance of God’s ability to provide for our needs. We pray that the kingdom, power, and glory, belong to God. Today, we could say the authority, the ability, and the honor of provision are in God alone. Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase translation of the Bible The Message puts it this way, “You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty!” Jesus teaches us to conclude our prayer this way so that we will learn to trust that the God who hears our prayers is able, and willing, to answer our prayers.

Ascribing to God the kingdom, power, and glory also serves as a great corrective measure for those who have communed with God in prayer. Without this ascription, we could conclude our prayers, and then assume that it was our strength, our ingenuity, and our ability which would see the prayers come to fulfillment, so that we would receive the glory and praise. We are reminded when we pray that this is God’s kingdom, not ours, and it is by His power, not ours, and for His glory and praise, not ours, that we live and move and have our being.

The word Amen, with which the prayer closes, can be translated as “let it be” or “this is true.” Amen expresses our fixed assurance that we greatly desire to be heard, as well as our willingness to submit to the divine will in the answer, whatever it may be, to our prayers.

Prayer

Gracious Lord, we thank you for teaching us to pray, and we ask that, by the power of your Holy Spirit, we may learn to trust in you, not ourselves, for all that we need, and give to you, not ourselves, the praise and glory for your provision and salvation. Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Question 107

Q. 107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.

Scripture Proofs

Dan. 9:4-9;

I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him

Dan. 9:16-19;

“O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

1 Chr. 29:10-13;

Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

1 Cor. 14:16;

Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?

Rev. 22:20-21.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

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