"Our Father, Who art in Heaven..." - 4 February 2024

 

Drawn from the Heidelberg Catechism on the Lord’s Prayer 

Our Father Who art in heaven: we come to you trusting and rejoicing that you are our Father through Jesus Christ, and that you will answer us, as promised, with as much readiness as, and more readiness than, our earthly parents. And we trust that we may expect from your almighty power all things necessary for body and soul. Hear us, Father, as we pray. 

Hallowed be thy name: Enable us rightly to know, reverence, magnify, and praise you in all your works through which shine forth your power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth; and likewise to so order our whole life, in thought, word, and work, that your name may never be blasphemed but honored and praised on our account. 

Thy kingdom come: Preserve and increase your Church, to include this congregation and these churches in the greater OKC area, Trinity UMC, Village, Wesley, and Del City First Church of the Nazarene. So govern us by your Word and Spirit that we may submit ourselves unto you always more and more. Destroy the works of the devil; destroy every power that exalts itself against you; and destroy all wicked devices formed against your holy Word until the full coming of your kingdom where you shall be all in all. 

Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: Grant that we and all people – the U.S.A., Oklahoma, the nations and leaders of the world – may renounce our own will and yield ourselves, without gainsaying, to your will, which alone is good; that so every one may fulfill their task and calling as willingly and truly as the angels do in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread: Be pleased to provide for all our bodily need, and for those down with the flu, COVID, stomach bug and respiratory illnesses, those ailing and aged, those poor and penniless, and all in need, we pray (…). May we know that you are the only fountain of all good, and so place that trust alone in you. 

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors: Be pleased, for the sake of Christ, to forgive our transgressions and evils; and as we find this witness of your grace in us, may our full purpose be to heartily forgive our neighbor. Lord, hear us as we now mention those we need to forgive and those we need forgiveness from (…). Forgive them, forgive us, and give us renewed willingness to forgive and pursue reconciliation. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Since we are so weak in ourselves that we cannot stand even for a moment, while our deadly enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—assail us without ceasing; be pleased to preserve and strengthen us by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may stand firm against them until we come off at last with complete victory! 

All this we ask of you, because as our King who has power over all things, you are both willing and able to give us all good, and thereby we long for your holy name to be glorified now into eternity: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. 

And now we join all of our requests together to pray as we have been taught: Our Father…

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