The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

“Power” is a word that we all know. We speak of powerful people. We are touched by a powerful performance in the arts. Christian author, Richard Foster, attempted to address many of the forces that we face in the world in his book entitled Money, Sex, and Power. It’s probably no coincidence that when Jesus was culminating our focus on God in the closing sections of the Lord’s Prayer, He mentioned power — God’s power.

“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power ….”

Ponder, for a moment, God’s power.

The powerful God created us and the world.
The powerful God destroyed sin and death in the cross and resurrection.
The powerful God claims us as God’s own in Jesus Christ, giving us the power to live new lives invigorated by the Holy Spirit.

Thine truly is the power.

Prayer

Wonderful God, let me experience Your creative, redemptive, life-giving power today as I am filled with your Spirit and touched by Your grace. Amen.