The Lord's Prayer. Matt. 6: 9-13 by Joseph Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 23, 1882

The Lord's Prayer. Matt. 6: 9–13.

By Joseph Clarke

“OUR FATHER.” “Not your Father alone, or mine, especially, but the Father of all the nations on the face of the earth. Acts 17: 26; Rom. 8: 15–17. “Who art in Heaven.” God has a home; he who has implanted a love of home in our hearts, certainly has a home of his own. See 2 Chron. 6: 21, 30. “Hallowed be thy name.” Reverence for God and all his attributes is one of the most important elements of worship and devotion. See Lev. 22: 32.

“Thy kingdom come.” The kingdom here especially referred to, is the kingdom of glory, to be established upon the earth made new. See 2 Peter 3: 13; Isa. 65: 17; Rev. 21: 1. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Never will this petition be realized to its full extent till the earth is made new. See Rev. 21: 1–5; Isa. 65: 17–25. “Give us this day our daily bread.” God alone can give us fruitful seasons and rebuke the destroyers of the fruits of the earth. He can keep us alive even in famine. Mal. 3: 11; Isa. 33: 16. We should not be over-anxious about to-morrow's supply. See Matt. 6: 34. “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Here is the most difficult and hazardous of all petitions. Who would dare to even think or speak evil of any one, after making this petition to God. Often it is as if one would say, Let others attack me in my reputation and my estate, as I have dealt with theirs. What a terrible state of things would presently be inaugurated if God would literally answer this prayer. See Matt. 7: 12. When making this petition we should not forget to ask for help to love our enemies.

“And lead us not into temptation.” Here is where so many fail; they feel strong in themselves, and when tried by tempting baits they are trapped at once; defalcations, covetousness, lust, and all varieties of wickedness have each a trap or snare peculiar to themselves; and these are God's detectives. Reader, let us pray, that we may be forewarned, to detect the snare and flee the first appearance of evil. 2 Peter 2: 9.

“But deliver us from evil.” If all would daily and hourly present to God this petition, how many dreadful accidents by land and sea would be avoided, and how many lives of holiness would be, instead of the moral wrecks we see, everywhere in this world. See John 17: 15.

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” See Rev. 5: 13, 14.

Let us daily present this sublime, comprehensive prayer slowly, carefully, reverently, grasping as far as possible its far-reaching, elevating spirit, concentrating all our powers upon each petition.

JOSEPH CLARKE.