Last Saturday, in The Perfect Prayer, Part 9, we saw that Jesus’ perfect prayer reminds us that we need deliverance from the sins of our human nature, and we need to remember that God protects us from harm. And this brings us to the official end of the Lord’s perfect prayer.
If you are old school, however, as I am, you probably memorized this prayer with an extra line: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:13b NKJV) Now, if you were to go to Matthew 6:13 in most English translations, you would not find this line in Jesus’ prayer. It only appears in the older English translations, and it is not seen in any of the Catholic translations. The reasons for this have to do with the documents used for translation purposes. A full explanation would take much more space than this newsletter would allot; and in the end, you might still not be sure whether it should or shouldn’t be included as part of Jesus’ prayer.
So why are we devoting an entire devotional to this line that doesn’t appear in many English translations?
Because whether Jesus said it or not, it is a powerful line, one that emanates Biblical truth, and one that has resulted in my own personal spiritual growth. I can only pray it will contribute to your spiritual growth and the power of your prayers as well.
Let’s take this apart:
1. “For YOURS is the Kingdom…”
Wait. This isn’t the first time the word “kingdom” is found in Jesus’ prayer… Going back up to verse 10, to the third line of the prayer, we read: “Your kingdom come…” (Matthew 6:10a NKJV). Remember that after acknowledging that God is our heavenly Daddy, and He is so holy that even His name emanates holiness, we are asked to pray, “Your kingdom come…”
In other words, one of the most important things Jesus suggests we focus on in our prayer is the Kingdom of God. When we pray, “for Yours is the kingdom…” we are in essence saying, “The principles I want my life centered upon all come from … You!” In a world that tries to pull us from every side, in a world that sends so many confusing messages that we don’t even know any more what to believe or what principles to base our lives upon, we are reminded that it’s God’s kingdom principles … and only His … that matter!
And just in case you still need convincing, the world’s wisest man tells us to trust in God and not lean on our own understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6)!
2. “…and the power…”
Many of the key principles taught throughout the bible center around one thing: Surrender! We are told to “Come to me” (See Matt. 11:18-20). We are told to “Cast all of our cares” (See 1 Peter 5:7). We are told to “submit” (See James 4:7).
Why?
Because the human tendency is to try to resolve things on our own. In a world where personal achievement is prized, it is only human nature for us to grow up trying to solve our own problems by our own strength. This is one of the key reasons we have such a hard time surrendering and submitting and casting and coming!
Another reason it is hard to surrender is that it is hard for us to trust what we can’t see. We are conditioned early on to believe what our eyes are telling us, and when we can’t see a solution, well, it’s pretty hard to believe there is one!
Yet another reason surrender is so hard is because we have all been hurt so many times by those around us. Putting our trust in someone besides ourselves leaves us vulnerable to pain and disappointment.
God knows these things, and here, in these controversial lines, is the reminder He knows we need: We can’t do it on our own strength, we need to surrender in faith: “for Yours is … the power…”
3. “…and the glory forever!”
This last phrase is the kicker for me. Every time I see victory in something I’ve struggled for so long to conquer, I am tempted to be proud of myself. And why not? This is what we are taught in our society! You did a great job, I’m proud of you!
And more times than I care to admit, as soon as I’ve acknowledged my pride in myself for resisting temptation, I once again fall into the same trap…
I am not alone in this. This is basic human nature. God knows this, and this line, whether in Jesus’ original prayer or not, reminds us of perhaps the most important truth: When we experience victory, ALL the glory goes to … Him! It was His kingdom principle revealed to us, it was His power that brought it to be, and all the glory is … His!
Now that this line has become a part of my spirit, is anyone surprised to learn that I slip up a lot loss often?
In summary then, these contested lines, whether part of Jesus’ original prayer or not, are not only completely Biblical, but they serve to remind us that it is God and God alone who gives us victory! I encourage each of you during this upcoming week to continue praying the Lord’s Prayer daily. This week, however, spend special time meditating on this last, contested line: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” Thank God that the His kingdom principles are the perfect guide. Humble yourself and submit to Him, allowing His power to flow through you; and then give Him ALL of the glory! When you do, you will begin to understand what it means for Him to increase and for you to decrease. You will experience the true freedom in surrender.
And this, friends, brings us to the end of Jesus’ perfect prayer. This has been a long series that has stretched out over 11 weeks. With each part you have been asked to specifically focus on a specific line of the prayer for the week. If you are like me, however, you might be having trouble remembering enough over the course of 11 weeks to put it all together in your mind. Please join us next Saturday for one last concluding part: “The Big Picture: The Perfect Prayer, Conclusion”
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
(To access the entire published portion of “The Perfect Prayer” mini-series, please click here!)
