The Lord’s Prayer: The Second and Third Petitions
After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:
Write out from memory the Second Petition, and summarize what it means and how this is done.
Demonstrate an understanding of the Kingdom of Grace and Kingdom of Glory.
Write out from memory the Third Petition, and summarize what it means and how this is done.
Be able to name at least two ideas from the Bible that show us what God’s will is.
Identify who actively seeks to prevent God’s will from being done?
In this lesson we will look to the Second and Third petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, which conclude the first broad segment of the Lord’s Prayer. Remember, God is the focus of this section.
THE SECOND PETITION | Use your catechism to write in the following information about the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Please copy it word for word below.
In this petition we are praying that the kingdom of God comes to us. What exactly is meant by that? Martin Luther includes a great definition in his Large Catechism, and it is as follows:
“God’s kingdom comes to us in two ways: first, it comes here, in time, through the Word and faith, and secondly, in eternity, it comes through the final revelation. Now, we pray for both of these, that it may come to those who are not yet in it, and that it may come by daily growth here and in eternal life hereafter to us who have attained it. All this is simply to say: “Dear Father, we pray to You, give us Your Word, that the Gospel may be sincerely preached throughout the world and that it may be received by faith and may work and live in us. So we pray that Your kingdom may prevail among us through the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, that the devil’s kingdom may be overthrown and he may have no right or power over us, until finally the devil’s kingdom shall be utterly destroyed and sin, death, and hell exterminated, and that we may live forever in perfect righteousness and blessedness.”
In this sense, we participate in the kingdom of God now by grace and faith, that is, by being a child of God and trusting in Jesus for our salvation. When Christ lives and reigns in your heart, it can be said that His kingdom has come. This is a spiritual kingdom, or His Kingdom of Grace. Yet, in this petition, we are also crying out that His kingdom would come in a visual way, like it will at the end of time, when the devil is overthrown and evil is completely overcome. This we call His Kingdom of Glory. The kingdom of Glory will occur at Christ’s Second Coming, so it is yet unfulfilled.
Read the following passages. What kingdom is best illustrated by each verse, the Kingdom of Grace or the Kingdom of Glory?
How does each of the following verses describe when we come into the Kingdom of Grace?
THE THIRD PETITION | Use your catechism to write in the following information about the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Please copy it word for word below.
What do the following Scriptures indicate is included in the will of God??
In today’s world, who actively seeks to prevent God’s will from being done? Answer after reading the following Scripture passages.
As we pray that His will be done we pray that we become more and more like Jesus; we pray that Satan may be defeated completely and that we would not give in to his schemes; we pray that all may come to a saving faith in Jesus as Lord; and finally we are submitting to God’s will and dealings with us.
Students / Parents (for the student and a parent to discuss and answer together)
