The Lord’s Prayer 7 ‘For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.’

Private Prayer & Public Worship The importance of private prayer AND public worship: “Without private prayer, we condemn ourselves to superficiality; without vibrant, public worship we exclude ourselves from enacting our distinctive identity as God’s redeemed servant people, agents of his kingdom in a dark world. Jesus held both together.” (Dennis Lennon)

Matthew 6v9-13 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. (NIV)

The Final ‘Doxology’ For your is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Is not included newer Bible translations (after 1884), because is not found in earliest Greek manuscripts of Matthews Gospel. May or may not be actual words used by Jesus. BUT reflects other Bible prayers, eg King David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29v Is therefore a good ending to the Lord’s Prayer: – A ‘high note of confidence’ (Peter Lewis)

‘Yours is the Kingdom’ God has the ‘right’ to rule, the ‘kingship’. God is the ultimate ruler over human rulers & kings. God has the right to rule over us, individually: – Jesus is Lord! The devil and humanity are in rebellion against God, but this does not disrupt God’s overall sovereignty. In Jesus, God’s kingdom has already ‘come’. In God’s time, God’s kingdom will totally ‘come’ and there will be an end to all sin and rebellion.

‘Yours is the Power’ God has the ‘power’ to rule as well as the right. Jeremiah 32v17 & 27: Nothing is too difficult for You. God’s power is especially shown when He raised Jesus from the dead: Ephesians 1v God’s gives power to His people: – In Bible: Samson, Elijah & Elisha, Jesus, Peter & Paul. – Today: Jesus baptises us in the Holy Spirit. The Church is powerless without God: – We should seek His power for ourselves.

‘Yours is the Glory’ God has ‘the glory’: His Presence is ‘glorious’. – Jesus is the Father’s glory! Hebrews 1v3. God is to be glorified and praised; By us! – We are to give God the glory, the credit for all He does. We should only glorify God, not idols, not man. – Don’t ‘glorify The Pastor!’ God will glorify us: – By sharing in Jesus’ sufferings – By sharing in Jesus’ glory, when he comes again.

Praying the Doxology and the Lord’s Prayer The Doxology is Adoration & Worship of God. – A ‘statement of love’. ‘Amen’= ‘So be it!’ An exclamation of agreement. – Like our personal signature to the Lord’s Prayer. Pray the Lord’s Prayer regularly! – Pray it with the mind: with understanding. – Pray it with the heart: with love and adoration. – Use it as a beginning for other Spirit-led praying. Above all, use it to draw near to God, Father Son & Holy Spirit!

Our Father in heaven, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Hallowed be Your Name, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Your kingdom come, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Give us this day our daily bread, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive others, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, And lead us not into temptation, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, But deliver us from evil, and the evil one, Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen!