We have been reviewing the Lord’s prayer over the past several weeks with Luther’s Small Catechism as a guide.  I hope the review has been as beneficial for you as it has been for me.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Be careful of this one.  We are praying that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins nor deny our prayers because of them.  We do not deserve any of the things we pray for, but we pray for God’s grace to forgive for Christ’s sake and grant our prayers.  We pray for forgiveness because we sin daily and deserve only God’s punishment.  See Luke 15:21.  And out of gratitude for God’s forgiveness we promise to “heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us.”  That’s the hard part.  Read Mark 11:25,26 where we read that if we do not forgive, neither will our Father in heaven forgive our trespasses.

And lead us not into temptation.  Temptation can refer to an act of testing (trying) or to an enticement to evil.  God will test us to purify and strengthen our faith but He will never tempt us to do evil.  Temptation to evil comes from the devil, the world, and our sinful nature.  James 1: 13,14 and 1 Peter 5:8,9.  So we are asking God to keep us from temptation and to strengthen us so we may overcome temptation.

But deliver us from evil.  Here we are asking God to keep us from every evil that threatens our body and soul.  Read Ps. 91:10; 2 Cor. 12:9 and Luke 2:29,30.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  God alone is the King from whom we seek help.  He alone has power to grant our petitions, and He alone shall have the glory and praise for all He has done for us.  Amen–it shall be so.

May this always have a deep and heartfelt meaning as we  pray alone and also with others, for we know that: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Helen