THE LORD'S PRAYER by James White

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 3, 1887

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

By James White

"WHO ART IN HEAVEN."

THE fact that God is in Heaven is often used to indicate his power and majesty. The expression occurring in the model prayer indicates that whoever prays should recognize the greatness of the Being whom he addresses. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb. 11:6. We quote a few texts to show the comprehensiveness of the expression, "Who art in Heaven."

Ps. 103:19: "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the Heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." Ps. 115:3: "But our God is in the Heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." These texts show the power of God. The same thing is found in 2 Chron. 20:6: "O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in Heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?" Whenever it is designed to indicate the power and majesty of God, his dwelling-place in Heaven is mentioned.

Ps. 11:4: "The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in Heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." Here God's dwelling-place in Heaven is mentioned to show his omniscience.

Jer. 23:24: "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill Heaven and earth? saith the Lord." Here the omnipresence of God is indicated, as also in 1 Kings 8:27: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the Heaven and Heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded." And also Isa. 66:1: "Thus saith the Lord, The Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"

Eccl. 5:2: "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few." Here the fact that God is in Heaven is given as a reason for sobriety and carefulness of speech.

Thus we find that the expression in the Lord's Prayer, "Who art in Heaven," stands for a recognition of the power, the majesty, the omnipotence, and the omniscience of God. All these things should be borne in mind when we approach the throne of grace. This thought will tend to produce reverence and awe. Multiplication of words and "vain repetitions," for which Christ condemned the heathen, arise from the fact that the petitioner thinks more of himself than he does of the one whom he is addressing. The heathen gods were so contemptible that the heathen worshiper could not help thinking more of himself than of his god; for heathen worship, in its inception, was self-worship. See Rom. 1:21-23. But the God whom we worship sits upon the circle of the heavens, and he who has a just sense of his greatness will come with reverence into his presence, and will confine his words to just the things which he needs.

"HALLOWED BE THY NAME."

This follows as a natural consequence of that which precedes. The one who remembers the words, "There is none like unto the God of Jeshuron, who rideth upon the heavens in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky" (Deut. 33:26), will of necessity "fear that glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD." W.