Doxology

The prayer Jesus taught us was the first Bible passage I ever memorized.

Maybe it was for you, too.

The last line I learned, interestingly, is not included in every ancient manuscript.

For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

We do have evidence, though, that as early as the late first century Christians had added this doxology to the Jesus’ prayer.

A doxology is simply an ascription of praise to God.

Whether Jesus actually included it in His prayer or not, I think it is a proper ending.

It reminds us that everything we have prayed is prayed on this foundation.

God, Your kingdom is bursting forth.

God, Your power is indescribable.

God, Your glory is unimaginable.

God, because of who You are, we want to honor Your name.

God, because of who You are, we want to live as citizens of Your kingdom.

God, because of who You are, we want Your will to be done in our lives.

God, because of who You are, we trust You to provide for our daily needs.

God, because of who You are, we trust You to forgive our sins and to empower us to forgive others.

God, because of who You are, we trust You to provide a way out of temptation and to rescue us from the evil inside of us and outside of us.

God, You are a good and great God. We can only come to You because You have graciously invited us to participate in Your kingdom, to experience Your power, and to share in Your glory.

God, we come to You humbled by this prayer Your Son gave us.

We are can’t live any of this out. We need You.

God, we come to You challenged by this prayer Your Son gave us.

You have challenged us to come to You as a loving Father. To uphold Your reputation. To participate in Your kingdom. To do Your will. To rely on You for everything. To trust You for forgiveness. To extend Your forgiveness to others. To give us the strength to follow You.

God, Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

May Your Kingdom Come Soon

“Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe.”

That is how just about every Jewish prayer begins.

I love the awe and reverence of that address.

Jesus taught us to come to God as our Father in heaven. He retained the awe and reverence but added to it the intimacy and affection of a loving father and a beloved child.

Yet, this Father of ours is the King.

Jesus calls us to pray that His kingdom would come soon.

I never understood that. If God is, in fact, the King of the universe, then isn’t His kingdom already here?

Yes and no.

In legal parlance, God is King de jure. De jure means “by law.”

That is, He is legally King. He has legal claim over everything that He created – including you and me. His creation is rightfully His. He is, in that sense, the King of the universe.

The prayer Jesus calls us to is that God would reign as King de facto. De facto means “in practice.”

That is, we would submit to Him as King. We would live out His will in practice.

When we pray that God’s kingdom would come soon, we are not asking that God would be King. He already is. We are not even asking that He would come as King. He already will.

We are praying that we would obey Him as King.

That His kingdom would be de facto in our lives.

That He would reign over our lives – not just in theory or even just in theology, but in how we live out every moment.

In our thoughts and our attitudes.

In our speech and in our conduct.

In our decisions.

In how we spend our money.

In how we spend our time.

In how we handle our relationships.

In how we give and serve.

In how we work and how we rest.

In every single aspect of every single moment.

God is your King de jure – by law.

Is He your King de facto – in practice?

May Your kingdom come soon, may it extend to every corner of my life, God.