Jesus Taught Us to Yearn for a Good Sandwich

By Bob Slosser
CBN.com Columnist

CBN.com –

A large number of people have difficulty grasping just who and what God is. They walk away with a wave of the hand, shaking their head. In talking about the Lord's Prayer, I've said His major attribute is holiness; then there's love, kingship, and power.

Power and Sovereignty. That's what I want to talk about, partly, again as raised by Jesus in showing the disciples how to pray with an outline, an order, if you will. He said, Pray then like this, and He gave them what most of the church today records as 68 words (Matthew 6:9-15 plus footnote, RSV), a concise pattern of prayer, not rote prayer or a pat form, as many think of it.

When He was asked by the disciples to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), it's as though Jesus said, Okay then, if you want to pray well, pray like this. My friend Terry Fullam, consummate university professor and author with me of Living the Lord's Prayer, has joked, You might say Jesus let the disciples look at His notes on prayer.

It's proper to clarify that the prayer in its original form probably ended with deliver us from evil. But early in the Christian era, perhaps in the first two centuries, a sentence was added: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. It is found in about half of the 6,000 full or partial manuscripts of the New Testament from early times. My opinion is that, if Jesus didn't say it, He very well could have said it. It harmonizes perfectly with everything else and brings the prayer full circle. The prayer begins with praise and worship in the hallowing of the Lord's name and ends by ascribing all sovereignty, all might, and all majesty to Him in a triune expression of praise.

One might say, if he's corny enough, that Jesus described prayer as petition sandwiched between worship. I like it -- a worship sandwich! Now you're praying, baby! Even Christie laughed over that.

Jesus may have been thinking of Psalm 93, as we should, when we pray. The psalmist, unnamed, said (maybe shouted), The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; and the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved; thy throne is established from of old; thou art everlasting. In the Prayer, when we say, Thine is the kingdom, we declare, Lord, you reign; you are sovereign over all the earth. Makes you want to shout, Hallelujah, doesn't it? Go ahead.

The question is this: When you say the Lord's Prayer, do you really believe it? Do you believe God is in control -- even of tiny details -- when the world, your world, appears to be falling apart? The viewpoint of Holy Scripture is that God governs everything. There is no suggestion of dualism between God and Satan.

When we pray, Thine is the kingdom, we are capitulating to that sovereignty. We are surrendering our own rival kingdoms. Get it? We all have them!

Thine is the power. Do you really believe all power resides in the hand of God? This is what you are praying. Do you believe the power, the influence, the control you have are given to you and don't originate with you? Think of your wealth and possessions. Holy Scripture says, Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth." You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth; that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as at this day (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). The same is true with talents and skills.

God has the power to give and to withhold life. That is why life, your life, is of such consequence. No one walking this earth has an unimportant life. That invests every life with a special dignity, a message the entire world needs to hear.

Now when we tie thine is the power with thine is the kingdom, were saying, Thine is the power that will bring about the kingdom. The kingdom is not going to come through our efforts, nor is the Lord sitting off in heaven worrying about whether we're going to make it. What God starts, He will finish!

Finally, Thine is the glory. Everything is for the glory of God. We are for the glory of the Lord (Ephesians 1:12). We are like the moon in reference to the sun. Inert, dead, the moon nevertheless reflects the sun. Jesus said He glorified God by doing His will (John 17:4). We can do the same.

Beloved, Jesus said, If you would pray rightly, then ascribe to your Father all the kingdom, all the power, and all the glory, and desire that this would be shone forth in your life. That's for all of us.

So is the last word -- amen -- the emptiest word of a prayer for many, a sort of Roger, over and out. We say, Okay, Lord, Im done now; goodbye. And we walk away. The word itself is Greek "amen" and can be translated verily or truly. The dictionary describes it as a word used to express solemn ratification or hearty approval. A more precise English equivalent is let it be so or so be it.

You might also recall that our whole life should be a response to God. He initiates, remember; we say amen and walk in the will of God. So be it.