The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection IV

The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on

“On earth as it is in heaven”

This fourth reflection on the Lord’s Prayer turns our focus toward the Father’s active involvement in this present world and this present time.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – We praise you, Father, that you are not passively watching events unfold from heaven, but you actively sustain the universe by your word and are intimately involved in its everyday activities.

Your kingdom come, – We praise you, Father, that you sent your Son to preach the good news of the heavenly kingdom on earth and that he paid the price of citizenship for all mankind. We praise you that you have sent your Spirit to continue building your heavenly kingdom on earth and that you will once again send your Son to conquer and supplant every nation and dominion that rages against your holy name. We pray that you would use us to help bring the presence of your heavenly kingdom into this present world.

Your will be done, – We pray that, as your Son followed your will in heaven and came to earth, we might have the strength and courage to also follow your will on earth by remaining holy, worshipping you, and helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

Give us this day our daily bread, – We pray that, as you supply every need of those in your heavenly kingdom, you would also supply our every need here on earth. We also pray that we would have the love, compassion, and willingness needed to use the resources you have given us to help meet the daily material and spiritual needs of others.

And forgive us our debts, – We praise you, Father, that your unending love compelled you to send your Son from heaven to live and die on earth as one of us so you would forgive us our every sin.

As we also have forgiven our debtors. – We pray, Father, that as you have poured out your forgiveness upon us from heaven, we might have the strength and courage to forgive all others their sins and trespasses on earth.

And lead us not into temptation, – We pray, Father, that, as your kingdom in heaven is devoid of any temptation that might snare those living in your presence, you would also keep us from temptations on earth by providing a way of escape from any temptations, especially those that come from the sinful depths of our own hearts.

But deliver us from evil. – We pray, Father, that as you have banished all evil from your heavenly kingdom, you would also cleanse us from our evil desires and deliver us from the deadly grip of those people, places, and things that are the presence of evil on earth.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. – We pray, Father, that would never stop bringing your eternally powerful and glorious heavenly kingdom into this earthly realm so that one day, corruption becomes incorruptible, and death is swallowed up by life.