Posts with the tag “lord-s-prayer”

Amen What does this mean? This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. Amen, amen means “yes, yes, it shall be so.”   Read More

Father in Heaven, you delivered your Son over into death. While Judas was working to hand you over to your enemies, you were handed over to deliver us from sin, death, and hell.  Read More

But deliver us from evil. What does this mean? We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.  Read More

O Lord, God our Father in Heaven, look with mercy on us! We are so often dragged away into our vices and sin which cause us great shame and pain. It is almost impossible to endure, and we feel compelled to hide our faces from before you in hopes that you may not look at us or our shame.  Read More

And lead us not into temptation. What does this mean? God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.  Read More

Dear Lord Jesus Christ. You have forgiven us of all our sins. You have set us free from our bondage and slavery. The price came at your blood and not ours. We praise and thank you for this precious gift.  Read More

How many times should you forgive your brother? Jesus had just finished telling them what to do when a brother sins against them. Peter probably thinks he is being pious by offering to forgive his brother up to seven times.   Read More

What has happened to Jesus has now happened to me. As Paul noted in 2:12, we were buried and raised with Jesus by baptism. There is a break with the old and there is a new life that has begun with us.  Read More

Our text today takes place at the end of a major section in Genesis that starts way back in chapter 37. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because they were jealous of him (after first planning to kill him). He is brought to Egypt and, through a series of events, rises to a position of prominence.  Read More

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them.   Read More

Wonderful Father. You cause rain to fall on the righteous and the wicked. You give food to the good and evil alike. You preserve your whole creation by the power of your Word and all have their eyes on you so that you may feed them in the right time.  Read More

“Do not worry about tomorrow.” Don’t worry? We all worry. About money, our jobs, our children, the state of the country, getting sick, the car breaking down, the roads being slippery…. the list goes on.  Read More

Paul is raising funds throughout the churches of the Mediterranean Area in order to support the needs of the saints back in Jerusalem, who are going through hardship and pestilence. His goal is on the way back to Jerusalem to stop by and collect the gifts that he will take to the Church there.  Read More

“Give me neither poverty nor riches….” What a thing to ask for. Most of us would probably ask for riches. There are whole branches of heretical Christianity that promote a prosperity Gospel that basically says that God will give you all sorts of riches… if your faith is strong enough.  Read More

Give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.  Read More

Good and gracious Father. Your mercies are great and the love has no end. Your will is that all be saved and come to the knowledge of that truth. Grant me to know your will so that I may embrace your kingdom and keep your name holy in my midst.  Read More

Jesus didn’t want to die. This may sound shocking to some people, but Jesus is fully human as well as fully God. The experience of death is not natural and Jesus knows that. With His humanity comes the desire to avoid suffering and death. Jesus could feel pain just as much as you and me.  Read More

Now that Christ has done his work to us and for us we are now made pure and holy before God. And because we are holy we now can live our lives devoted to God. Our lives come from God and now we bring them back to God.  Read More

The book of Revelation is often considered a frightening book. Weird creatures, plagues, battles…. It's unsettling. But it’s not meant to be. Revelation was given to the Church as a sort of behind the scenes to show us that God is in control. Which is illustrated in today’s reading.  Read More

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.   Read More

Merciful Father. You are sending forth your kingdom in your Son Jesus Christ. Upon the cross, you have given a sign to all mankind that you rule through grace and mercy.  Read More

Jesus is not just a king, he is THE King. This is made very obvious in the Gospels. From the Magi seeking the King of the Jews, to John the Baptist proclaiming “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” to the question and response given in today’s reading.  Read More

What is the essential part of our fellowship? Do we find agreement in what we eat and drink and what days we observe as special and holy? Or is there something more to our fellowship?  Read More

We want to be just like the nations around us!” This is what the Israelites are demanding Samuel give to them. They want a king just like the kings they see everyone else has. It’s a bit of “the grass is greener on the other side” coveting. They want someone who is going to fight their battles and protect them.  Read More

Thy kingdom come. What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.  Read More

Father! You are holy. You are enthroned above all things. You need nothing and need no petition asking that you be holy.  Read More

Not everyone who uses God’s name will enter the kingdom of heaven. This idea can give us pause. What is Jesus talking about? If someone is casting out demons in His name, doesn’t that make them a Christian?  Read More

This could be summarized as easily as saying, “practice what you preach.”  Read More

In order to keep God’s name holy, we have to know what God’s name is. Moses is worried in our reading today about the Israelites asking him what God’s name is. So what is God’s name?  Read More

Hallowed be Thy name. What does this mean? God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.  Read More

Merciful Father, by the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ, you have made me your child.   Read More

These verses make up the center of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This means these words form the central thought which hangs Christ’s entire sermon. And at the center of this passage is the Lord’s Prayer. Bracketed before the Lord’s Prayer is the admonition to give to the poor. Bracketed after the Lord’s Prayer is the teaching on how to fast.  Read More

Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.  Read More