Prayer - Doxology

Matthew 6:13

There are many manuscripts that don't include the end of the Doxology. There are many debates about it. Luke includes the end in his book, but that is said to be because Luke was constantly writing about the glory of God. You are given sound theology with the Lord's Prayer, which then leads to great praise and glory. You should be lead to adoration. Theology comes first and you understand the character of God and out of that we find a Doxology. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. There are no lesser gods. He rules over all things and everything is subject to God. He has absolute dominion over all things. There is no competition. 

God's kingdom forever. "This Is My Father's World" captures the idea of God's kingdom forever. God's dominating authority. We do not give any power to any other kingdom that challenges God, any lesser gods.

God's power forever. We recognize His power to create an effect. We believe that whatever He wants to do that nothing can stand in his way. Governing and sustaining power. Everything that happens of every second is due to His everlasting power. We are kept by the power of God. We are in the hands of Him who has control over all matters. We recognize the power that has saved us and that saves us everyday, giving us the strength and determination to turn away from the world and turn to Christ. What makes us different from a different man in terms of salvation? Only the power of God. We can boast of nothing apart from His power.

Thine is the glory forever. To stand in awe and majesty. Thine is the glory, not us. He is glorious and we are sinful. Adoration belongs to Him. The glory of God is especially a difficult concept for us because we so often think of ourselves and seek not to look anywhere else. We are also a people who have difficulties seeking or finding or placing glory into our world and so we fall short when it comes to placing any glory on God. We have no idea of it's true meaning. We are a people who suppress glory. We hold those ahead behind so that all are equal in glory. We do this to one another and we automatically apply it to God as well. There was a time when people were held in respect and glory. Not inappropriately, but how God has instigated it. But as we have lost that, we have lost the true definition of glory. We don't know how great and powerful that glory is now. You see God's glory as a major theme in the Old Testament. Christ shares in this glory. In Revelation 1:12-18 we see the glory of God as portrayed in the character of Christ. To have even a small inking of God's glory in our understanding would change us so we would never be the same again. As we understand His glory we absorb it and we reflect it. There is nothing within ourselves but as we soak in and believe and hunger after His glory we are gifted to shine it forth to the world. We cannot give God's glory as if He doesn't have it already. He is high above the earth whether we acknowledge it or not. We only ascribe to Him what He never ceases to be. As we understand more and more who He is, then we enter into adoration easier. We cannot help but come before Him in praise and adoration. Ecstasy of His glory.

This Doxology is the adoration, an offering of praise to God. God is glorious whether we recognize it or not. The heavens declare His handiwork. We pray this as a vertical prayer. We pray these things for God's kingdom and power and glory being forever and ever. This is a prayer to go up, vertical. This is a God-centered prayer. Us aside, focused on God and His character. This life is not about us. It's about God and as such the last thought in this prayer finds us centered on God and His glory.