Lords Prayer

the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) “In this prayer our Lord shows his disciples how an infinite variety of wants and requests can be compressed into a few humble petitions. It embodies every possible desire of a praying heart, a whole world of spiritual requirements; yet all in the most simple, condensed and humble form, resembling, in this respect, a pearl on which the light of heaven plays.”—Lange. “This prayer contains four great general sentiments, which constitute the very soul of religion,—sentiments which are the germs of all holy deeds in all worlds. (1) Filial reverence : God is addressed not as the great unknown, not as the unsearchable governor, but as a father, the most intelligible, attractive and transforming name. It is a form of address almost unknown to the old covenant, now an then hinted at as reminding the children of their rebellion. (Isaiah 1:2); Mali 1:6 Or mentioned as a last resource of the orphan and desolate creature, (Isaiah 63:16) but never brought out in its fullness, as indeed it could not be, till he was come by whom we have received the adoption of sons.”—Alford. (2) “Divine loyalty : ’Thy kingdom come.’ (3) Conscious dependence : ’Give us this day,’ etc. (4) Unbounded confidence : ’For thine is the power,’ etc.”—Dr. Thomas’ Genius of the Gospels. The doxology, “For thine is the kingdom” etc., is wanting in many manuscripts. It is omitted in the Revised Version; but it nevertheless has the authority of some manuscripts, and is truly biblical, almost every word being found in (1 Chronicles 29:11) and is a true and fitting ending for prayer.