The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

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The Lord’s' Prayer.

THE CONCLUSION.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer is a dox-
ology, a glorification and praise of God to whom we
have addressed our prayer. In this doxology we
give the reason why we have with such confidence
prought our petition before God.

_ “Thine is the kingdom,” we say. God is a king,
~He is the King of kings, and, in particular, the
King of the kingdoms of grace and of*glory. He
is our King, our true and faithful King, who takes
a true interest in the welfare of His subjects. ‘There-
fore we say, “Thine is the kingdom,” as though we
would say: “Dear heavenly Father, we have asked
much of Thee, but we know that Thou takest the
greatest interest in us, Thy subjects; Thine is the
kingdom, Thou art our King, we are Thy subjects;
our welfare, we know, is Thy earnest desire, and
we are ever certain of Thy fatherly sympathy.”

“Thine is the power,” we continue. God can
hear our prayer, for His power is unlimited. We
need not entertain any fear of asking Him anything
beyond His power to give. With God nothing is
impossible, therefore He can hear our every prayer.
What can Satan, as strong as he is, do against our
almighty God? To God belongs the power: if He
be for us, who shall be against us? We are certain
that our prayer is heard, for He to whom we pray
is the King; we are certain that we shall receive
that for which we ask, for He to whom we pray is
the Almighty.

We add: “Thine is the glory.” The God to
whom we pray is the glorious God. In hearing the
prayers of His children, the glory of our heavenly
Father is magnified; for all the world will see that
to Him belongs all glory, honor, and praise. We

- are confident and certain that God will hear us for
the glory of His name.

Finally we say, “For ever and ever.” The king-
dom, power, and glory of earthly kings is incon-
- stant and perishable. How comforting, therefore,
that He to whom we pray is unchangeable and that
His kingdom, power, and glory have no end! As
Moses prayed almost four thousand years ago, so
may we pray to-day: “Lord, Thou hast been our
dwelling-place in all generations. Before the
mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even from ever-
lasting to everlasting, Thou art God,” Ps. 90, 1. 2.

.
’

Thus this doxology in reality says just what the
introduction to the Lord’s Prayer says: “Our
Father, which art in heaven.” In this manner we,
at the end of our prayer, return to where we began ;
we went out from heaven, passed through all the
needs and wants of earth, and now again arrive in
heaven.

Joyously and confidently we end our prayer
with “Amen.” In the doxology we gave expression
to our reasons for praying so confidently ; by this
word “Amen” we express our confidence, the cer-
tainty of our faith that God will hear our prayer.
This little word at the end of our prayer means
that we are “certain that these petitions are accept-
able to our Father in heaven, and heard; fot He
Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has
promised to hear us. Amen,*Amen, that is, Yea,
yea, it shall be so.”

But may we really be so certain of our prayer
being heard? Do not many complain that their
prayers have not been heard? It is true that such
complaints are often made, but .they are unjustly
made, for God hears every true prayer. Every true
Christian prayer leaves the time and manner of
help entirely in God’s hands and also includes the
provision (even though, not expressed in so many
words) that if, because of the shortsightetIness of
him that prays, anything foolish or hurtful be asked
for, God would mercifully not do as He is asked to
‘do. A Christian prayer is a prayer that tends to
God’s glory‘and to our own and our neighbor’s wel-

_fare, and such a prayer God always hears in His

own manner and at His appointed time, though
under the weight of trouble it may happen, indeed,
it often does happen, that we do not observe the
helping hand of God. — an

Thus we have now completed our meditations
upon the Lord’s Prayer. And I am sure we are all
ready to say with Luther: “The Lord’s Prayer is
a prayer above all prayers, the noblest prayer, which
our most exalted Master nas taught us, and in which
He has comprised all spiritual wants. It is truly
the most powerful comfort in all temptations, trials,
and in the last hour.” Such being our estimation
of this prayer, let us never use it thoughtlessly, as
so many do. Let us think of the depth of meaning
found in its words and ever add a joyous and con-
fident Amen.

“Amen! that is, So let it be!

Confirm our faith continually,

That we may doubt not, but believe
That what we ask we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy Word
We say: Amen; O hear us, Lord!”