And we confess the Holy Ghost,
Who from both fore'er proceeds,
Who upholds and comforts us
In the midst of fears and needs.
Blest and holy Trinity,
Praise forever be to Thee!
LESSON 39.
The Lord's Prayer.
The Introduction.
Which is the Introduction?
Our Father who art in heaven.
What does this mean?
God would by these Words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father, and that we are His true children, so that we may with all boldness and confidence ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.
1. We have thus far considered the Ten Commandments, the holy Law of the Lord, in which our heavenly Father tells us what we should do and not do, how we, as His children, should live according to His will. We have considered the Law, which teaches us that we have not kept it, that we have sinned against God and therefore deserved His punishment, eternal death and damnation.—We have considered the Three Articles of the Christian Faith, which teach us the Gospel, the glad tidings of what the Triune God, our Redeemer, has done and will do for us to save us from sin and death, that we may live in His kingdom in everlasting innocence, righteousness, and blessedness. In its Third Part our Catechism explains to us the Lord's Prayer, that is, the prayer that our Lord once taught His apostles.
2. We read (Luke 11,1) that, at a certain time, the disciples saw and, probably heard their Master praying, speaking with His Father in heaven. This made so deep an impression upon them that one of them asked the Lord: "Lord, teach us to pray." The Lord gladly complied with this request and said: "When ye pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven," etc. The Lord Himself gave His disciples this prayer, and therefore we call it the Lord's Prayer. We say this beautiful prayer very often, daily, and we should do so. Our Lord gave it to us. When we use this prayer, we know that we pray according to our Master's will. But reciting this prayer is not enough, we must also understand what we are praying. We should ever better learn what the words of this prayer mean. Let us see how our Catechism explains them.
3. "Our Father who art in heaven," thus our Lord teaches us to address the true God, the Triune God. What love God has bestowed upon us that we are called His children, and that we are permitted to call Him Father! 1 John 3,1. Christ might have chosen different names to address God; but He teaches us to call God our Father. Why does He do so? "God would by these words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father and we are His true children." When we come to God to speak to Him in our prayers, we should always believe and remember that God is our true Father, and that we are His true children. You know that God is indeed your Father and you are His child. It is true, we are all sinners, and the holy God hates sin, but our dear Lord has redeemed us from all sins and has earned for us forgiveness of sins and righteousness in the sight of God. Through Christ, my Brother, I have become God's true child, and God has become my true Father. In Christ's name I come to God and call Him Father, believing that for Christ's sake God really is my Father and I am His child. "For this cause" (because Christ is my Brother) "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Eph. 3,14.15. Remember that only those who believe in Jesus Christ may call God their Father. Only children of God, through faith in Christ, can really pray to God.