The Lord's Prayer
- 6 hours ago
- 10 min read
When your heart has been warmed by such a recitation to yourself [of the Ten Commandments, the words of Christ, etc.] and is intent upon the matter, kneel or stand with your hands folded and your eyes toward heaven and speak or think as briefly as you can:
O Heavenly Father, dear God, I am a poor, unworthy sinner. I do not deserve to raise my eyes or hands toward thee or to pray. But because thou hast commanded us all to pray and hast promised to hear us and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ hast taught us best how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to thy word, trusting in thy gracious promise. I pray in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ together with all thy saints and Christians on earth as he has taught us: Our Father who art in heaven, etc., through the whole prayer, word for word.
The First Petition: Hallowed Be Thy Name
Then repeat one part or as much as you wish, perhaps the first petition: “Hallowed be thy name,” and say, "Yes, Lord God, dear Father, hallowed be thy name, both in us and throughout the whole world. Destroy and root out the abominations, idolatry, and heresy of the Turk, the pope, and all false teachers and fanatics who wrongly use thy name and in scandalous ways take it in vain and horribly blaspheme it. They insistently boast that they teach thy word and the laws of the church, though they really use the devil’s deceit and trickery in thy name to wretchedly seduce many poor souls throughout the world, even killing and shedding much innocent blood, and in such persecution they believe that they render thee a divine service.
Dear Lord God, convert and restrain [them]. Convert those who are still to be converted that they, with us, and we, with them, may hallow and praise thy name, both with true and pure doctrine and with a good and holy life. Restrain those who are unwilling to be converted so that they are forced to cease from misusing, defiling, and dishonoring thy holy name and from misleading the poor people. Amen.”
The Second Petition: Thy Kingdom Come
The second petition: “Thy kingdom come.” Say: “O dear Lord, God, and Father, thou seest how worldly wisdom and reason not only profane thy name and ascribe the honor due to thee to lies and to the devil, but how they also take the power, might, wealth, and glory which thou hast given them on earth for ruling the world and thus serving thee, and use it in their own ambition to oppose thy kingdom. They are many and mighty; they plague and hinder the tiny flock of thy kingdom who are weak, despised, and few. They will not tolerate thy flock on earth and think that by plaguing them they render a great and godly service to thee. Dear Lord, God, and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who are still to become children and members of thy kingdom so that they with us and we with them may serve thee in thy kingdom in true faith and unfeigned love and that from thy kingdom, which has begun, we may enter into thy eternal kingdom. Defend us against those who will not turn away their might and power from the destruction of thy kingdom so that when they are cast down from their thrones and humbled, they will have to cease from their efforts. Amen.”
The Third Petition: Thy Will Be Done
The third petition. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Say: “O dear Lord, God, and Father, thou knowest that the world, if it cannot destroy thy name or root out thy kingdom, is busy day and night with wicked tricks and schemes, strange conspiracies and intrigue, huddling together in secret counsel, giving mutual encouragement and support, raging and threatening, and going about with every evil intention to destroy thy name, word, kingdom, and children. Therefore, dear Lord, God, and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who have yet to acknowledge thy good will that they with us and we with them may obey thy will and for thy sake gladly, patiently, and joyously bear every evil, cross, and adversity and thereby acknowledge, test, and experience thy benign, gracious, and perfect will. But defend us against those who, in their rage, fury, hate, threats, and evil desires, do not cease to do us harm. Make their wicked schemes, tricks, and devices come to nothing so that these may be turned against them, as we sing in Psalm 7:16."
The Forth Petition: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
The fourth petition. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Say: “Dear Lord, God, and Father, grant us thy blessing also in this temporal and physical life. Graciously grant us blessed peace. Protect us against war and disorder. Grant to our dear emperor fortune and success against his enemies. Grant him wisdom and understanding to rule over his earthly kingdom in peace and prosperity. Grant to all kings, princes, and rulers good counsel and the will to preserve their domains and their subjects in tranquility and justice. Especially aid and guide our dear prince N., under whose protection and shelter thou dost maintain us, so that he may be protected against all harm and reign blessedly, secure from evil tongues and disloyal people. Grant to all his subjects grace to serve him loyally and obediently. Grant to every estate-townsman or farmer the ability to be diligent and to display charity and loyalty toward each other. Give us favorable weather and a good harvest. I commend to you my house and property, wife and child. Grant that I may manage them well, supporting and educating them as a Christian should. Defend us against the Destroyer and all his wicked angels who would do us harm and mischief in this life. Amen.”
The Fifth Petition: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
The fifth petition. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Say: “O dear Lord, God, and Father, enter not into judgment against us because no man living is justified before You. Do not count it against us as a sin that we are so unthankful for thine ineffable goodness, spiritual and physical, or that we stray into sin many times every day, more often than we can know or recognize (Psalm 19 [:12]). Do not look upon how good or how wicked we have been but only upon the infinite compassion that thou hast bestowed upon us in Christ, thy dear Son. Grant forgiveness also to those who have harmed or wronged us, as we forgive them from our hearts. They inflict the greatest injury upon themselves by arousing thy anger in their actions toward us. We are not helped by their ruin; we would much rather that they be saved with us. Amen.” (Anyone who feels unable to forgive, let him ask for grace so that he can forgive; but that belongs in a sermon.)
The Sixth Petition: Lead Us Not Into Temptation
The sixth petition. “And lead us not into temptation.” Say: “O dear Lord, Father and God, keep us fit and alert, eager and diligent in thy word and service, so that we do not become complacent, lazy, and slothful as though we had already achieved everything. In that way the fearful devil cannot fall upon us, surprise us, and deprive us of your precious word or stir up strife and factions among us and lead us into other sin and disgrace, both spiritually and physically. Rather grant us wisdom and strength through thy spirit that we may valiantly resist him and gain the victory. Amen.”
The Seventh Petition: But Deliver Us From Evil
The seventh petition. “But deliver us from evil.” Say: “O dear Lord, God and Father, this wretched life is so full of misery and calamity, of danger and uncertainty, so full of malice and faithlessness (as St. Paul says, “The days are evil” [Eph. 5:16]) that we might rightfully grow weary of life and long for death. But thou, dear Father, knowest our frailty; therefore, help us to pass in safety through so much wickedness and villainy; and, when our last hour comes, in thy mercy grant us a blessed departure from this vale of sorrows so that in the face of death we do not become fearful or despondent but in firm faith commit our souls into thy hands. Amen.”
Amen
Finally, mark this: you must always speak the Amen firmly. Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say “yes” to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone; rather, think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you, and you are standing among them in a common, united petition that God cannot disdain. Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, “Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth.” That is what Amen means.
You should also know that I do not want you to recite all these words in your prayer. That would make it nothing but idle chatter and prattle, read word for word out of a book, as were the rosaries by the laity and the prayers of the priests and monks. Rather, I want your heart to be stirred and guided concerning the thoughts that ought to be comprehended in the Lord’s Prayer. These thoughts may be expressed, if your heart is rightly warmed and inclined toward prayer, in many different ways and with more words or fewer. I do not bind myself to such words or syllables but say my prayers in one fashion today and in another tomorrow, depending upon my mood and feeling. I stay, however, as nearly as I can, with the same general thoughts and ideas. It may happen occasionally that I may get lost among so many ideas in one petition that I forego the other six. If such an abundance of good thoughts comes to us, we ought to disregard the other petitions, make room for such thoughts, listen in silence, and under no circumstances obstruct them. The Holy Spirit himself preaches here, and one word of his sermon is far better than a thousand of our prayers. Many times I have learned more from one prayer than I might have learned from much reading and speculation.
Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, “Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth.”
That is what Amen means.
Coram Deo: Living before the face of God
Using the Lord’s Prayer as a model involves prioritizing our petitions according to the prayer’s structure. The first thing for which Jesus prays is that God’s name would be hallowed and that His kingdom would come. That the world would recognize God as holy and seek His kingdom is to be the very first thing we seek in prayer. If our prayers are not filled with petitions for the Lord to be glorified in all the earth, we probably need to restructure our intercession.
Quotes
Prayer has a vital place in the life of a Christian. One might pray and not be a Christian, but one cannot be a Christian and not pray.
R.C. Sproul
The necessity and utility of this exercise of prayer no words can sufficiently express.
John Calvin
"True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that—it is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth."
Charles Spurgeon
"Pray for all the saints. Pray also for kings, for those in power, for princes, for those that persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, so that your fruit may be apparent to everyone and that you may be perfect in Him."
Polycarp (Letter to the Philippians 12)
Prayer from Scripture
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 evil. - Matthew 6:9-13
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. - James 5:16
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11:24
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:7
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. - Matthew 26:41
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
- Psalm 34:17
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you. - Luke 6:27-28
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. - 1 John 5:14-15
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." - 1 John 5:14
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." - 1 Chronicles 16:11
"Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive." - 2 Chronicles 6:21
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people." Ephesians 1:18
"And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." - 1 John 5:15
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." - Ephesians 6:18
"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." John 17:15
"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." James 5:13
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:44
"The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him." Proverbs 15:8
"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
- Psalm 17:6
"He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea." Psalm 102:17
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:2
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12
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