The Purpose of Prayer

Matthew 6:13

Introduction

In the Lord’s Prayer, we learn that God is our Father and His kingdom is our priority. He alone is the source of our provision, and as we forgive others, His grace provides for our forgiveness. We also learn that God is our protector. Through the trials and temptations of life He will direct and guide our path. But in the concluding words of this prayer Jesus teaches us one final truth, God is glorious and worthy of our praise!

In Matthew 6:13, the Lord’s Prayer concludes with a doxology or declaration of great praise to God with the words “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The last words of our prayer are sometimes the most important and Jesus last words reminds us that we serve a God who is on the throne! No matter what situation we face, our prayers should always lead us to lift up our voice to God with incomparable gratitude and great praise.

Throughout scripture we see the people of God offering doxologies or great praise to God. In 1 Chronicles 29:11, David blessed God acknowledging His greatness, power and glory. After discussing God’s glorious plan of redemption, Paul finished with this doxology in Romans 11:36, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Jude expressed his praise to God, as he concluded with a powerful doxology in verses 24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” With each of these passages we see the same truth, when you are overwhelmed by the glory and greatness of God, you become too excited to keep it to yourself and are moved to praise Him with your whole being!

Every doxology glorifies God. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus is acknowledging four important truths about God’s kingdom, power, glory and eternality.

1. First, the kingdom of God refers to His authority and sovereignty. God’s kingdom rules over all on the earth and in the heavens (Romans 13:1). Everything that happens is because God either directly causes it or allows it to take place.
2. Second, the power of God is unlimited, self-generating and potent (Psalm 147:5). Sometimes we experience a power outage because of some disruption in the energy flow from the source. But there are never any power outages with God! He is self-sufficient and always operates at maximum strength to accomplish whatever is needed for His kingdom. He is such a powerful king that God can take the resistance of those against Him and transform it for the good of His kingdom (Exodus 11:1).
3. Third, the glory of God is the sum of His being or attributes. God’s glory is displayed through His brilliance, splendor and significance. When the invisible God makes Himself visible in your situation this is a manifestation of His glory.
4. Fourth, God is eternal (Isaiah 57:15). There has never been a time without God, as He has always existed. God has no past and no future. For us there is yesterday, today and tomorrow, but for God there is only right now, the present. This means you can place your trust in Him, because He has seen and knows all things (Psalm 139:1-10).

Our purpose in life is to bring glory and honor to God in all that we do. But we have to choose to walk in that purpose. So what will you do? Will you focus on your own glory, or will you follow the example of Jesus and offer up a doxology of glorious praise to God, our Father?

Getting Started

1. What is one point that you found especially meaningful from your study of the Lord’s Prayer?
2. Why do you think we should glorify God in our prayers?

Let’s Get Personal

1. How do you think the sovereignty of God should affect the way you respond to the various situations you encounter each day? Share your response with your circle or group.
2. Share a time when you experienced God’s power in your life. Did it change the way you trust Him? Explain your response.
3. Read Psalm 19:1-6. What do you learn about God’s glory from creation? How does this affect the awe and reverence you have for Him? Share your response with your circle or group.
4. Describe your understanding of God’s eternality. How do you think this truth helps us have confidence in God?

Take the Next Step

1. What can you do this week to glorify God with great praise?
2. Using the Lord’s Prayer as the model, write your own prayer to God.
3. Want to go deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Psalm 19:1; 24:1; 62:11; 90:1-2; 135:6; Job 36:26; Isaiah 40:28; John 15:8; 17:4; Romans 4:17; Ephesians 1: 11; 3:20-21; Revelation 1:8

Renew Your Mind

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Jude 24-25