The final phrase of the prayer model that our Lord Jesus taught His disciples is a wonderful summary of the foundations of our relationship with our Father, to whom the prayer is addressed.

The Kingdom, Power and Glory Are His

The Kingdom that is His is the community into which the King calls all those He loves: His chosen Hebrew people (to be wholly consecrated and set apart to Him - a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation - Ex 19:6) and all who would be believers in Messiah Yeshua (a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation - 1 Peter 2:9).

It is a reminder that He is the King of the whole universe, of time and eternity, and of our lives; and that His purpose is for those who respond to His call (today – if you hear His voice) to come into His Kingdom to love and serve Him. Jesus told us 2,000 years ago that the Kingdom He brought is near at hand.

The Power that is His is a dynamic, life-giving power, brought to us by the dynamic, life-giving Spirit of God; it is abundant, and sufficient to fulfil all His purpose. It is a reminder that Jesus both has created and sustains His universe. This power is given to enable His disciples to bring all people into relationship with the Father by equipping them to share the Good News (gospel) of God's love for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jewish people and then for the Gentiles (Rom 1:16).

The Glory that is His is the awesome Presence of God, often expressed in Scripture as fire or cloud. It is an emanation of the Living God in various forms appropriate for His purpose, like when Isaiah experienced His Glory in the Temple, filled with smoke (Isa 6:4). The Hebrew word kvod signifies the weight of God's Glory. The time will come, when man's pride falls, that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord (Hab 2:14).

Jesus Himself was glorified on earth with the Glory that He had with the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:5). But He lived on earth to glorify His Father (John 12:28) and the Father indicated that He would glorify His Son through His sacrifice on the Cross. In John's gospel, glory is often expressed through suffering. And so, the Saviour who suffered and died on the Cross is also the King of Glory (Ps 24:10).

Calling and Equipping

This beautiful prayer model begins with our acknowledging the nature and character of God, and with Jesus' call to new life through repentance and belief in Him (Matt 4:17; John 3:36). We may note that this call is into the Father’s Kingdom, not into the Church!

Through the Lord’s prayer we can express our worship (He is the one true God) and our desire to obey His will (He is our King), and receive all our daily needs. For the Kingdom is comprised of those who are poor in spirit (humble), strong in faith and consequently persecuted for righteousness' sake, who demonstrate their love by hearing and doing His word and seeking to be more like Jesus. For He is our goal in the Kingdom.

We cannot follow this path except by the power of His Spirit as the leading influence in our lives, so that others can see Him in our conduct. Fruitful disciples watch the Father, as Jesus did (John 5:19), and do what He directs, waiting upon Him and obeying His commands. For the power is His alone to give (Yours is the power) and not of us.

Like faith and works, prayer is always to be associated with action: to receive our daily needs we must give (even just thanks). To be forgiven, we must first forgive others. To receive protection and deliverance, we must protect others. But, always, the power to do this comes from Him. Again, Jesus is our model.

Reason to Rejoice

The prayer Jesus gave us calls us to seek to be rooted in the Kingdom, to avail ourselves of His power and to bring glory to His Name. In these times of change, let us therefore rejoice in what our promise-keeping God has given to us through His Son Yeshua, for it is eternal:

• His Kingdom, that He might dwell with us – Immanu-El 
• His Power, that we might proclaim His Kingdom and bring many into eternal life through Yeshua
• His Glory, that His beauty and life-giving grace may transform the world until it is truly full.

As Paul tells us, we are accepted in the Beloved, given an inheritance, and sealed with His Spirit, and this is all to the praise of His Glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14).

What a prayer model Jesus has given to us! Let us dig deep into it, and be thankful.

Author: Greg Stevenson