The Teaching of Jesus on Prayer – Part 6 of 6
Expanded and Adapted From The HOPE Study Guide

 

If you wanted to learn how to pray, who would you choose for a teacher? In Matthew 6:9-13, you can find a model prayer given to you by Jesus Himself. It was not given simply to recite, but to teach you how to pray. It has been called “the true pattern for all prayer.” Each verse in this prayer identifies an important aspect of prayer. This is part 6 of 6 in our study of the model prayer. Our focus here is verse 13b.

“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
– Matthew 6:13b 

Verse 13b does not appear in all early manuscripts of the Bible. However, for the purpose of this devotional, let’s consider this verse a powerful proclamation, which praises God. And praise is certainly the appropriate response for one who has been blessed by intimate fellowship with God.

In Exodus 33, we read about a dialogue between Moses and God that took place after the nation of Israel had been incredibly dishonoring to God. Moses had a lot to speak with God about. At the conclusion of their conversation, Moses told God that he did not want to go forward unless the presence of God went with him. After concluding your time of prayer with God, you would not want to go on without a sense of His presence either, would you?

The Bible teaches that God inhabits (KJV), or is enthroned upon (NASB, ESV), the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). In other words, when you praise God, you are inviting Him to manifest His presence in your life. And when that happens, the powers of darkness will flee because they cannot stand the presence of God. Perhaps you should stop here and let those last two sentences sink in. Think about it, the power of praising God. Is it a regular experience in your life?

Hebrews 13:15 tells us that praise should be a constant theme in our walk with God: “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Praise brings glory to God . . . and it so good for us!

If you want to make praising God a more constant part of your life and you’re finding it difficult to get there, then ask Him to help. Pray David’s prayer in Psalm 51:15 on a regular basis: “O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

The word that punctuates our verse today, “amen”, literally means “so be it.” In the words of one writer, “To add ‘amen’ to our prayer is like the judge striking his desk with the gavel, proclaiming, ‘It is done.’ ”