Heidelberg 119- Lord's Prayer

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation,^a

but deliver us from the evil one.^b ’ (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)

Thoughts: Everything we need physically or spiritually, the catechism says, is contained in this prayer.  The Lord's Prayer is a rabbinic prayer that was well thought out and meant to be memorized- as containing the rabbi's basic teachings.  There are seven petitions (or 6 petitions and a conclusion) we are taught to pray here.  It starts with praise and ends with praise (though both the NIV and the footnote to the catechism take off the last praise- I think wrongly).  The Lord's Prayer is both a pattern to give us direction to pray and also a real prayer to be used in asking God for what we need physically and spiritually.  

PRAYER: Lord, teach us to pray by your great prayer.  Help us to pray by your great prayer.  Make our prayers from the heart so that we may know you better.  

Q & A 119

Q. What is this prayer?

A. 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 do not bring us to the time of trial,  but rescue us from the evil one.* For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.1**

1 Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4
*This text of the Lord's Prayer is from the New Revised Standard Version in keeping with the use of the NRSV throughout this edition of the catechism. Most biblical scholars will agree that it is an accurate translation of the Greek text and carries virtually the same meaning as the more traditional text of the Lord's Prayer **Earlier and better manuscripts of Matthew 6 omit the words “For the kingdom and … Amen.”