Sunday 23rd June 2024
‘This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven…'”
Matthew 6:9-10(NIV)
The Lord’s Prayer
This is now the third week in a row where I have written something about prayer. Perhaps that reveals my own felt weakness in prayer, where I feel I need all the help I can get! And I hope it will be helpful to you too.
The Heidelberg Catechism has some useful expansions of what the various requests in the Lord’s Prayer mean. These expansions can be used as prayers in their own right (he first three requests are below, and I hope to give you the final three requests next week).
It begins, though, with this question: Why has Christ commanded us to address God as ‘our Father’? And it answers: to awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer what should be basic to our prayer – a childlike reverence and trust that through Christ God has become our Father, and will much less refuse to give us what we ask in faith than will our parents refuse to give us the things of this life.
Hallowed be your name means: Help us to truly know you, to honour, glorify and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy and truth. And help us to direct all our living – what we think, say and do – so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honoured and praised.
Your kingdom come means: Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Preserve and increase your church. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts agains you and every conspiracy against your holy Word. Do all this until your kingdom fully comes, when you will be all in all.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven means: Help us and all people to renounce our own wills and without any back talk to obey your will, for it alone is good. Help everyone carry out his office and calling, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.
Amen to that!
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)