The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection X

The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on

“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

This tenth reflection looks through the lens of the Father’s eternally powerful and glorious kingdom to see the many facets of the Lord’s Prayer as we meditate and approach our heavenly Father in prayer.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – Praise is due to you Father, and only you because yours is the only eternal kingdom, the only infinite power, the only undiminished glory, and the only name worthy of eternal praise.

Your kingdom come, (on earth as it is in heaven). – Other kingdoms rise and fall, Father, but your kingdom endures. Open our eyes so we can see your kingdom piercing the veil of this mortal coil, change our hearts so we would welcome your kingdom as it is established on earth, and guide our hands, feet, and lips so we are employed in building your eternally powerful and glorious kingdom.

Your will be done, (on earth as it is in heaven). – Mold our wills, Father, so we would continually follow your plan for our lives. Keep our thoughts pure, our words uplifting, and our actions holy. Grant us the courage to repent from our sins, practice our acts of righteousness in secret, and express your love for a lost and dying world by helping the poor, the needy, the infirm, and the alien and preaching the message of your heavenly kingdom on earth.

Give us this day our daily bread, – Change our longings, Father, so we might desire only the daily bread of your kingdom. Help us trust in you for our daily material provisions, and grant us the wisdom and discernment to feed only on your daily spiritual provisions. Use us as you see fit to bring the material and spiritual sustenance of your eternally powerful and glorious kingdom to those whom you have appointed us each day.

And forgive us our debts, – Forgive us, Father, for we have all sinned, have fallen short of your glory, and are unworthy to experience the glory of your eternally powerful kingdom. We praise you, Father, because you sent your Son Jesus to make a way for each of us to become citizens of your kingdom and live eternally in the presence of your glory.

As we also have forgiven our debtors. – Father, grant us, the citizens of your kingdom, the courage and humility to offer others the same forgiveness you continually offer us. Enliven our wills and empower our strength so we would actively seek those in need of forgiveness, just as you sought us, instead of slothfully waiting for them to seek us out.

And lead us not into temptation, – Father, lead us through the narrow gate leading to your eternally powerful and glorious kingdom. Keep our eyes turned to your glory and grant us the strength and perseverance to walk your difficult path. Preserve us from our weaknesses and let your word guide our feet so we do not stray into thorny fields of temptation. Make us holy and continually sanctify us, your children, the citizens of your kingdom.

But deliver us from evil. – Protect us, Father, from the forces of evil, both external and internal, that seek to keep us from entering your kingdom. Replace the natural longing of our hearts that seeks wisdom and safety in people and places other than you with the longing to constantly rely upon you in our times of need. Grant us the perseverance needed to endure life’s trials so we might be led by you through the gates leading to your eternally powerful and glorious kingdom.