[[For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]] Matthew 6:13 NIV

Last week we prayed through the valleys of life, but we don’t want to stay there. If we end our prayers on “deliver us from the evil one,” we may be left dwelling on our problems. I don’t know about you, but I want to start my day looking up.

Before delving into the remaining verses of the Lord’s Prayer (we’ll call it the doxology), notice that verse 13 includes these words in brackets or may reference them in the footnotes of your Bible. Scholars believe early Christians added this final portion, but that doesn’t make this addendum to Jesus’ prayer less valuable.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

In this doxology, we circle back to praise because God is bigger than our problems. Hike out of the valley of troubles and spend a few more moments on the mountain before saying amen.

Draw your attention back to God and off of your problems. You’ll find joy and hope awaken. Doubts and fears are buried. 

We state this doxology by faith because, honestly, God doesn’t always appear to be ruling. God’s power might not be visible at the moment, but it doesn’t negate the truth that He is all-powerful.

Resist the temptation to rattle off these verses. Linger in His presence a moment longer and allow these truths to unfurl in your soul:

God rules as King of this kingdom. He is all-powerful. He is worthy to receive all honor and glory. Forever.

Now we can walk out of our prayer closets with full confidence that God is all of this and more. With these truths echoing in our souls, we’ll have all the assurance we need for the test result, the job interview, or the medical emergency.

Amen.

We come to the end of this prayer thinking of “amen” as a signal that prayer is over and we can go about our day. But in the Jewish tradition, amen meant “so be it.” The Jews agreed with God to do their part and trusted God to do His part in whatever was prayed.

But this “amen,” doesn’t end the dialogue with God. Prayer should continue throughout our day. Amen doesn’t mean we are finished; God may require something more from us.

Whew! We’ve barely skimmed the depths of this prayer, but now it’s your turn. If prayer is still foreign to you, use the structure of the Lord’s Prayer to guide you. If you have a prayer routine, add elements from the Lord’s Prayer that are missing in yours. 

Know, though, your Father in heaven longs to talk to you. Don’t keep Him waiting.