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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
“For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Our Bible concludes the prayer our Lord taught us to pray, as we learn it from Matthew, with what is known as the “doxology.” A doxology is a word of praise giving glory to God. The Gospel of Luke in chapter 11 does not include the doxology.
Martin Franzmann said, “The doxology . . . is thoroughly in keeping with the spirit of the prayer, which seeks first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, makes the petitioner dependent on God’s grace, and so gives God the glory” (Concordia Bible with Notes, CPH, 1971, p. 26). Our God, the Triune God, alone is the King from Whom we seek help. He alone has the power to grant our petitions. The child of God gladly gives to Him all glory and praise for all His benefits toward us.
To this doxology is appended “Amen.” We conclude all our prayers, our hymns, and the sermon each Sunday with “Amen.” We conclude the service with the benediction, followed by “Amen.” This is not a meaningless exercise, or sigh of relief that now we can go home. “Amen” means “It is so.” It is a confession in itself that we believe and trust in the Lord God. “Amen” says we subscribe to and confess that which we have just heard or spoken!
“Amen” at the end of the Lord’s Prayer expresses our confidence that the Lord Who commands us to pray and Who finds our prayers acceptable in Jesus Christ has heard our prayer and will answer. Martin Luther stated it very simply, “Amen, Amen, that is, Yea [Yes], yea [yes], it shall be so.”
To God alone the glory. Amen!
THE CONCLUSION
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
What is meant by the word “Amen”? That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promised to hear us. Amen, Amen, that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.
-- DR. MARTIN LUTHER'S Small Catechism
(Concordia Publ. House, 1943)
The Doxology
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
What does “Amen” mean?
“Amen” means that I should be certain that these petitions are really heard by the Father in heaven; for He Himself has instructed us to pray in this way and promised that He will hear us. “Amen! amen!” that is, “Yes, indeed, it shall be so!”
-- MARTIN LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM
(Sydow edition, 1988)
(A comparison of two currently used versions)
(This concludes the series on the Lord’s Prayer and its petitions by Pastor Daniel Fleischer. We thank him, and pray the Spirit of God bless these studies. — Editor)