URGENCY OF THE LORDS PRAYER-
July 27, 2026

Routine can be a beneficial practice for us. Every Sunday Leslie and I have half a bagel for breakfast and on Thursday we have the other half. Leslie, raised in New York and I having lived there for twenty years, the bagel can become a real habit. So, our breakfast routine with cereal on Monday and Wednesday, hard-boiled egg on Tuesday and Friday, scrambled eggs or omelet on Saturday provides easy choice and a quick way to begin the day. Consistency and order supply a good foundation for structure in our lives.

Today I want to talk about the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus taught this prayer to the disciples to reinforce their relationship with Him as the Messiah, the Son of God. As Christians we learn this prayer and use it regularly at church in worship and in our lives as a foundation for coming to our heavenly Father in a variety of circumstances. The Lord’s Prayer is a spiritual routine. However, as with any routine there can be some pitfalls. The words can be taken for granted; we can just go through the motions and not focus on the meaning. Today I want to focus on the first three parts of the Lord’s Prayer. I want to focus on the Urgency of the Lord’s Prayer. What Jesus is asking us to pray for is foremost. In just a few words our Lord places before us the most important part of our faith. God’s name is holy, His kingdom comes and His will is done, not just in general, but we pray that this happens in our lives each and every day. Let us look more closely at these first three parts of the prayer.

In the Gospel of Luke the Greek words are imperative verbs: be holy, kingdom come and will be done are expressed with an urgency that means that these things must happen. Jesus is reminding us that we must be about the Father’s business of developing an ongoing relationship with our God through faith in Jesus, sharing a new life out of baptism and showing the sacrificial love for others that Jesus’ example taught us. This is done not by God forcing us, but by the urging of the Holy Spirit directing, leading us in God’s Word. The consistency of prayer and the constant practice of worship keep reinforcing the necessity of growing in faith.

It all begins with the First Petition- Hallowed be Thy name. Luther’s catechism declares: God’s name is holy indeed even without our prayer. But in this petition, we pray that it may be holy among us. This is done when God’s Word is taught in truth and purity and we, as His dear children, lead a holy life according to it.
God’s name is made holy among us especially in worship when we open our hearts and lips to Him in praise and thanksgiving for all His gracious acts. God’s name can be cursed, jeered, hated, ignored or belittled, but His name will always be holy and unmoved.

Psalm 9, “…For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary…Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness…”

In creation God displays His majesty in the intricacy and beauty of nature and the power of forces that control not only our planet but the vastness of the universe.
At Mt. Sinai God revealed His righteousness and justice with the rumbles of thunder, the fire and the fury, displaying a holiness that separates Him from the ruinous and tarnished condition of human beings that rebel and scorn the God in whose image they had been made. God’s holiness shows us how far human beings have strayed from our Creator. How our rebellious and selfish nature has ruined our relationship with the loving and merciful God. How injustice and mistreatment and disregard for others have made a broken and divided world. God’s holiness is not the arbitrary judgement and brutal power of an uncaring force. God’s holiness is revealed to show us how far we have fallen, how much ruin has infected the good world God created and how much we need redemption and new creation.

First lesson- Deuteronomy 7- “ … for you are a holy people…” is part of the text. This is only by God’s choosing and grace, not our own holiness but that which God gives to us in love and mercy and for the sake of Christ who sacrificed Himself for our sins and covers us with His holiness and righteousness. Holiness is not a matter of our achievements or amassing any amount of good works. Jesus’ perfect life and complete sacrifice for our sins counts for us. His holiness takes the place of our sin. God’s grace covers us with Christ’s righteousness.

There is a story of a very wealthy man whose son went away to war. One of the men in the son’s combat unit made a sketch of each soldier as a keepsake. Tragically the son was killed. The sketch was sent to the father, a serious art collector, who cherished that drawing more than any of his valuable paintings. When the father passed away the art collection was put up for auction. On the day of the sale many wealthy buyers or their representatives were in the crowd. The auctioneer summarized a few of the more famous works. The crowd was impressed and eager to begin bidding. The auctioneer said the benefactor(father) had directed that the first item going for bid was the sketch, titled, The Son, the father’s favorite. But it had little monetary value. The crowd groaned and some rumbled, let’s get to the good stuff. The auctioneer called for bids. More grumbling. Then an old man lingering at the side who had been the caretaker of the house, raised his hand. May I bid $20. Everyone one shouted.” Great, now we can get to the good stuff”. The auctioneer repeated, “Going once, going twice, sold for $20”. Everyone applauded. Next, the auctioneer stepped to the side, and everyone had a confused look as a lawyer, the executer of the estate, stepped to the podium. All were stunned when the lawyer declared, “the auction is now over. I am quoting from the will. “He who has the Son, has everything”. If you have the Son, you have come into God’s kingdom. You are connected to Christ in baptism and a part of the body of Christ and inherit eternal life. You have everything. Christ said, Matthew 11:25, ‘Father I thank you that you have hidden these thigs from the wise and revealed them to little children…no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him…’ Jesus brings us into the kingdom through baptism and reveals the will of the Father to us. If you have the Son you have everything.

Now by the work of God’s Son, Jesus, the kingdom of God comes among us. The Kingdom is not a special place on earth, a shrine on a mountain to meditate, it is not a special nation or country, it is not a nirvana or a reincarnation or a political philosophy or power. God’s kingdom is the rule of His love in our hearts and lives as we join as a people called by God to worship, praise and thank and serve Him. The urgency of the prayer, Thy kingdom come is an announcement: Come and see what Jesus has done on the cross and go tell that He is risen. Kingdom Come is about INVITATION. It is not about our decision for Christ, but God’s reaching out to lost humanity in His Son. Jesus took the initiative to call people to follow Him. The disciples were SENT OUT, (Greek, apostelo-to send) The word apostle is not an honored title, it is a call to go and witness. The apostles did not wait for people to come to them. Jesus said in Matthew 11, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest”. The Risen Lord declares in the Book of Revelation, ch.3, “…Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…”

Our mission is to be an inviting church, a welcoming people, a warm fellowship, a place to learn and to love. As an apostolic church we do not just sit and listen, but we go out and tell the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.
Thy will be done- God’s good and gracious will is done as God’s people praise His holy name, share the message of the Gospel and show the love of Jesus in works of healing, mercy and love. But it is still a struggle because there are many enemies of God’s kingdom and those who sabotage God’s will. Human greed tries to thwart God’s will.

God’s will is opposed by pride, ignored by the powerful, but His will be done on earth as it is already accomplished in heaven where Christ rules at the right hand of the Father. Christ’s victory is certain as we are comforted by His presence in Word and Sacrament. The scripture verse I quoted before goes on with a few words that are so important. Rev. 3: “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come unto him and eat with him and he with me…”

Every week we receive comfort and strength in the Sacrament of Holy Communion where the Body and Blood are truly present and we receive our Lord humbly at the altar so that His kingdom rules in our hearts and minds and His will be done in our lives.

For centuries prayer has been a lifeline for God’s people. A routine of prayer keeps us in touch with the Lord. Psalm 5 declares, “Give ear to my words O Lord, listen even to my sighs my King and my God for to you I pray. Morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in confident expectation.” This is how our day should begin knowing that God is with us and leading us.

In my backyard there are flowers called Mexican Petunias. Each bloom lasts one day and then another bloom appears on another part of the plant the next day. Created to praise God for one day. We are given many, many days. Are we dedicating those days to our Lord? In whatever job, activity or circumstance we are facing we should bloom where we are planted. Those petunia blooms often attract bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds. Scripture tells us, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to God, the Father in heaven.” That petunia only has one day to fulfill its purpose. We are given many days to serve the Lord.

So we close with these words from Paul to the church in Thessalonica encouraging us today in the practice of prayer, “Be joyful always, pray constantly; give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Amen.

Lord’s Prayer – Part 2
August 9, 2026

Two weeks ago we considered The Urgency of the Lord’s Prayer and looked at the first three petitions which directed us to God’s holy name, Christ’s kingdom and God’s good and gracious will. Today we continue to study the prayer our Lord taught us to understand more fully its urgency.

Jesus was particularly aware of God as His Father. As a young boy, Jesus was taken by Joseph and Mary to one of the festivals in Jerusalem and was in the temple with teachers of the law listening and asking questions and all who heard him were amazed at his answers and his understanding. When his parents found him, he said to them, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Scripture tells us when Jesus was baptized, he was praying, and the heavens opened …and a voice (of the Father) declares, “You are my Son, with you I am pleased.” Jesus recognized the urgency for being about His Father’s business.

During His ministry Jesus himself prayed to His Father showing He was carrying out God’s purpose, Matthew 11: 25. At that time Jesus said, “I thank you heavenly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father… no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him…”

So now Jesus teaches His disciples and us to pray just as He, Himself, prayed to His Father with the same confidence, boldness and expectation. God our Father is not the detached one who is just a bread winner or an absent parent, he is not the hardened disciplinarian who only shows up to punish, or on the other hand a lenient and careless one who cannot set standards or be a good example and just let things slide.

God our Father, first of all, is a Provider and a Protector. When we pray Our Father who art in heaven, we are not asking God just to give us whatever we want like a spoiled child. We are taking the hand of the One who has already reached out to us and brought us close to Him. Like the father of the prodigal Son, He has embraced us in love, redeemed us by the sacrifice of His Son, restored our worth ruined by our shameful sins, and empowered us with a new life in the Holy Spirit.

Give us this day our daily bread.

We pray to the Father already having a relationship to God through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We confess our reliance on God for all our needs and humbly trust in Him. We confess our sins that we are often too attached to the things of this world; we fret and worry that we do not have enough or feel that we have not gotten far enough ahead or succeeded as we deserve. Christ tells us to ask for our daily bread to teach us that our daily bread is a gracious gift from God and that we may receive it with thanksgiving.

Scripture says (Matt. 6:32) “…the pagans run after so many things, but your heavenly Father knows what you need…” We pray for daily bread and things that sustain our life trusting that God will provide and thanking God for all His blessings. Scripture goes on: “… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and these things will be added…” The first part of the Lord’s prayer, hallowing God’s name, seeking the kingdom and humbly following His will, get us ready to receive and share the daily bread that comes from the hand of God.

We pray our daily bread for our neighbors, that they, too, may share in the bounty. Yes, our labors have been blessed, but those in need are included in this prayer that we may have the opportunity to reach out with God’s love and express our faith in gracious giving.
Prayer is not just a shopping list of things that we need for ourselves. Prayer is not a personal gripe session with God to get out all our complaints and troubles so that we can feel better. Prayer is humbly coming to our all-powerful and all-knowing Father- the Father who really knows best- so we can be pointed in the right direction. The Lord’s Prayer is like a compass to correct our wandering ways.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us can also be translated forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. The Greek word in the text is actually closer to the word meaning monetary debt. Our sins are compared to a huge debt for which we are personally responsible. Things done and even things that we have failed to do all count against us. Like a crushing load, God’s commandments pile one on top of another, a load of disobedience, shame and guilt that we could never make up for.

Jesus told a parable (Matt. 18:210) …a master settled accounts with his servants…one servant owed him ten thousand talents but was not able to pay so he begged the master, “Be patient with me and I will pay back everything”. The master took pity on him and CANCELLED the debt and let him go. Then that servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him only a hundred talents. He demanded, “Pay what you owe me”. His fellow servant begged, “Be patient with me and I will pay you back.” But he refused and had the man thrown into prison. The master learned of this and called the servant who had his debt cancelled back before him. “I cancelled all that debt of yours, shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had on you?”

God has cancelled a tremendous debt for us. Romans 5:6 “at just the right time when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…” Colossians 3: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you …”
This is the motivation that grows out of the love of Jesus who declared on the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In the midst of the cruelest evil, Christ demonstrates the most powerful love imaginable. Forgive them.

The gift of forgiveness in Christ by God’s grace flows through us to share with others. How can the petty differences, the harsh words, the careless actions that tangle our lives lead us to destroy our relationship with others?

This part of the Lord’s prayer forces us to be honest before God, swallow our foolish pride and humbly ask for forgiveness and embrace others with the reconciling power of Christ’s love

Lead us not into temptation… Luther’s catechism says, “…God tempts no one; but we pray…that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world and our sinful flesh does not deceive or seduce us into misbelief and despair …but through all our struggles we may overcome them and obtain the victory…” God tempts no one because we get ourselves in enough trouble when our selfish pride thinks that we know it all or can handle things ourselves. Cruel words, careless actions or bad choices entangle our lives. Life is not fair and sometimes there are those who face more suffering and injustice than they deserve. But the hard fact is that evil is a part of this fallen world and needs a more powerful force to oppose it. When the devil faced Jesus in the wilderness, Christ opposed him with the Word of God.

This part of the Lord’s prayer can also be translated, “Save us from the Evil One”. The devil is constantly putting roadblocks and misdirection into our walk with the Lord. God’s Word in the law puts up warnings for us like a stop light- the yellow should warn us of danger and of course the red should put an abrupt stop to our thoughts and actions. Every week in worship we first join in the confession of sin and the assurance of forgiveness. “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That assurance is reinforced as we receive the body and blood of Christ at the altar, comforting and strengthening us. Our connection to the community of faith brings us opportunities to support one another in times of difficulty, share insight and encouragement from God’s Word in classes and groups. We unite in fellowship, celebrate joyous occasions, and shoulder burdens. There are caregiver teams and, of course, our spiritual leaders to whom we can confide personal concerns.

God provides us with many resources to deliver us from evil. Scripture declares, “My grace is sufficient for you; my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Remember, God the Father is a provider but also the protector to deliver us from evil.

We are given the Armor of God- Ephesians 6, “…Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. …stand, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes on your feet the readiness to share the Gospel of peace…take up the shield of faith to protect from the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

God provides all we need for protection to face the evil one and face difficulties in life. Only one place we are not protected – our back. We cannot turn away or ignore facing head on these spiritual forces, but we do it together when we pray Our Father. It is a group prayer and so Ephesians goes on “…Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication …keeping alert with all perseverance, making intercession with all the saints…”

With boldness and confidence, the Lord’s Prayer concludes with a firm trust that God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is in control- FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.

Michael Anthony Bergbower
Visitation Pastor
mbergbower@charter.net