For Thine is the Kingdom

The prayer which Jesus taught his disciples to pray is recorded for us in Matthew 6:9-13 and in Luke 11:2-4.

Matthew 6:9-13 – “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Luke 11:2-4 – “He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgives us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'”

Notice something missing?!?!

Where is “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”?

It’s not there?

Then where did we get this phrase?

The early church added the last clause to the end of the prayer.

Why did the early church do that?

The early church added the last clause because you can’t end a great prayer without a great doxology, a great praise. The early church didn’t add anything that Jesus wasn’t already teaching and preaching. They added the clause because a great prayer deserves a great ending. You can’t end it with “Deliver us from evil” or “Lead us not into temptation.” That just wouldn’t do.

Jewish prayers ended with praise and God’s glory. A good example of this is found in 1 Chronicles 29:10-11 which records David’s prayer toward the end of his life.

“Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

Or, in other words, “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

Jews would have been familiar with this prayer and doxology.

Now, thanks to the early church, we have a fitting ending to a great prayer.

In the next three days, we will explore the meaning of “Kingdom, power, and glory.”