Here,

at the end of this month, we have reached the end of our reflections

on prayer. This reminds me that the word end

can have two meanings. It can mean that something has stopped, and it

can also refer to a main purpose.

So

let’s consider the end of prayer. The traditional conclusion to the

Lord’s Prayer, as prayed by the church for many hundreds of years,

goes like this: “for yours is the kingdom and the power and the

glory forever. Amen.” This expresses the focus of prayer and the

goal of our lives. As in life, the purpose of prayer is to keep us

centered on God—to have our heart turned to the One who has first

turned his heart toward us.

This

is what David prayed for shortly before he died. He acknowledged that

God alone is King. He prayed that the desire to serve God would

always be found in people’s hearts. His prayer at the end of his

life conveys what the end—the main purpose—of our lives should

be: the glory of God.

So

by our prayers and in our lives, let us acknowledge God’s glory.

Let us seek the peace and justice of his kingdom and submit to God’s

greatness. Let us pray that God will use even us to spread his glory

everywhere until his kingdom has finally come!