We come now to the very ending of the Lord's Prayer with the words "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." It is an ending that is not used by all denominations. This realization comes home to me when I do weddings and funerals and have a mixture of religious backgrounds represented. In fact, this ending is not even found in the Lord's Prayer as recorded by the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke.
From where then did this ending come?
The ending was added later in the history of the church. There has been the suggestion that the words are similar to what we find in 1 Chronicles 29:11. Here is where King David is lifting up praise to God for preparations in building the Temple. He is giving materials generously and so are the families of the tribes of Israel; yet, it is left for his son Solomon to do the actual building. Here we have David proclaiming: "Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all."
This ending to the prayer is a way of giving praise to God. We are ending the prayer on a strong note. We dare not forget the greatness of our God!
What about the word 'Amen.' It's important for us to remember that it is not like a period at the end of a sentence. It does more than just bring closure. It literally means, "Yes, it shall be so." This one word is a strong affirmation of all that we have prayed. We do not end the prayer with doubt but with trust.
How often do you use the Lord's Prayer in your own life? Is it just in times of worship on Sunday? Or do you find occasion to pray it at other times?
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