From Discipleship Weekly

(a publication of the Presbyterian Church of Islip)

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A Word from Our Sponsor Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. -- John 17:1-3 The Heidelberg Catechism: Part 3 - Thankfulness Week 52: Our Lord's Prayer 127. Q. What is the sixth petition? A. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." That is: since we are so weak that we cannot stand by ourselves for one moment, and besides, since our sworn enemies, the devil, the world, and our sin, ceaselessly assail us, be pleased to preserve and strengthen us through the power of thy Holy Spirit so that we may stand firm against them, and not be defeated in this spiritual warfare, until at last we obtain complete victory. [Ps. 103:14-16; Matt. 10:19-20; 26:41; Mark 13:33; John 15:1-5, 18-21; Rom. 5:3-5; 7:23; I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 11:14; Gal. 5:17; Eph. 6:10-13; I Thess. 3:13; 5:23; I Pet. 5:8] 128. Q. How do you close this prayer? A. "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever." That is: we ask all this of thee because, as our King, thou art willing and able to give us all that is good since thou hast power over all things, and that by this not we ourselves but thy holy name may be glorified forever. [Ps. 115:1; Jer. 33:8-9; John 14:13; Rom. 10:11-13; II Pet 2:9] 129. Q. What is the meaning of the little word "Amen"? A. Amen means: this shall truly and certainly be. For my prayer is much more certainly heard by God than I am persuaded in my heart that I desire such things of him. [Is. 65:24; II Cor. 1:20; II Tim. 2:13] Suggestions for discussion and review: In an earlier section of the Catechism (Week 9) we read that "God the Father almighty" is both able and willing to provide for all our needs, and to "turn to [our] good" any evil that comes our way in this life. Keeping in mind what we have learned throughout the Catechism, explain what the Lord's Prayer affirms about the nature of God as Father and Sovereign. Will what you have learned in this study of the Lord's Prayer (Weeks 46-52) change the way you pray from now on? Briefly explain your answer. * * * * * * * * * * If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily. -- Gerald Good