In our message series, “Praying with Jesus” we’re looking at Jesus’ teaching on prayer, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6. Each week, we have been looking at a different phrase in the Lord’s prayer. Our goal is to learn how to pray more effective and powerful prayers. The Bible and the Lord’s Prayer teaches us that God’s will is done on this earth only through the prayers of God’s people. That is why we pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As we pray in faith, partnering with God, we bring God’s will from heaven to earth. Prayer is one of the most exciting aspects of the believer’s life, as we see God move in answering our prayers. Today, my message is entitled “The Glory of God.” We’re going to be looking at the last phrase in the Lord’s prayer.
Matthew 6:13b (NASB) [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
In many translations, this phrase is either in the footnotes or in brackets. The reason is that the earliest Greek manuscripts do not contain this phrase. We know it was added by 100 AD at the latest. So, the best scholarship indicates that is was not in the original Gospel, but was added later by early believers as an ending of worship. The Lord’s prayer originally almost appears unfinished, as though Jesus wanted us to add our own ending of worship to the prayer example he taught. The content of the traditional ending is in keeping with the rest of Scripture.
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NIV) Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
As the Lord’s prayer begins in worship, ending our prayers in worship is fitting. What is worship all about? Worship is to adore, to praise, to focus on and acknowledge the greatness of God. Why should we worship God in prayer? We worship because God created every human being as a worshipper. Everyone worships something or someone. You either worship God the Creator or you worship an idol, a created thing.
Psalm 115:3-5, 8 (NIV) Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; … Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
When you worship God, you become more like Him. Those who worship idols, become like them, lifeless things that can accomplish nothing of eternal value. Today, we’re going to look at a passage in Revelation 4 to see how worship is going on in heaven. Why is that important? It’s important because we want to bring heaven’s worship to earth. We want to join in the heavenly worship, both individually and as a church. The book of Revelation was originally written to the church persecuted by Rome. It was written to encourage the believers and help them worship God who is in control of all. As we learn to worship on earth, as worship is done in heaven, we also will be assured that God is in control, even when things may seem out of control.