Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory… Psalm 115:1 As we noted at the beginning of our series through the Lord’s Prayer, the closing doxology does not appear in the oldest manuscripts in our possession. However, the doxology does belong to the oldest Christian tradition. It is found […]

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. The sixth and final petition that Jesus teaches us pray has to do with our lives in a fallen and wicked world. It is a world given over to sin and Satan. And because of our ongoing struggle with sin God has promised that […]

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. “The Christian lives through forgiveness.” So writes J.I. Packer. It is true of course. Where would we be if not for forgiveness of sins? How could we go on if we remained under sin’s penalty? How could we bear to address God in prayer […]

Give us this day our daily bread. In the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, the focus shifts from centering on God and his glory to us and our needs. At first the request seems to be a simple one, “Give us this day our daily bread…” but contained in this request are underlying truths […]

Your will be done on earth as it is heaven. “The will of God means death to our own will, and resurrection only when we have died to all our own plans.” – Sinclair Ferguson The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be an easy prayer. Certainly the words are rather easy to memorize. And […]

Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Colossians 3:17 The Protestant Reformation is rightly celebrated for its recovery of the gospel which had been so deeply obscured by the Medieval Church. Justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is the doctrine which lay at the center of the Reformation. But […]

The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Mark 1:15 The second petition of the Lord’s Prayer is, “your kingdom come.” The nature of the kingdom of God is one of the most discussed and debated issues related to the study of Scripture. The various views are understandable. At various times […]

Holy and awesome is his name! Psalm 111:9c The very first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “hallowed be your name.” Or, to put it another way, “Lord, may your name – that is You – be recognized throughout the world as holy.” To hallow something is to treat it as holy, that is, as […]

With the invocation of the Lord’s Prayer – “Our Father in heaven” – Jesus teaches us about both the nearness and distance of God. He is the God who has come near to us in the Person of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He invites us to address him as Father. […]