Devotional Gems by Jolene
Created for Bible Study for Kids
God's Pre-Eminence
8 of 8
Luke 11;2-4
By J.D. Griffith
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. The
prayer ends with a triumphant blast of praise.
This final sentence was not in the original manuscripts of either
Matthew or Luke. It is concluded that this sentence was not part of the
prayer that Jesus originally gave to His disciples. It is a doxology.
(Latin for good news.)
The young Christians added it to the end of the prayer so that the final
words would not be frightening. Ending with the snares of the evil one
unsettled many people.
While this may not have been Jesus original prayer, the doxology at the
end gained broad biblical support.
King David, after assembling the materials for building of God’s temple
said, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness the power and the glory the
victory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and
earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head
over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all
things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength
to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise for your glorious
name.” (1Chronicles 29:11-13).
Another scripture that supports this ending is found in Revelation. The
four living creatures chanted in Revelation 5:13: “Blessing and honor
and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb,
forever and ever!”
This doxology is not an addition that we must accept in order to pray.
We embrace it in confidence and reverence to God, the almighty,
sovereign Lord of the universe. We discover a Father whose riches are
inexhaustible—beyond measure. With this we praise God on our knees,
catching a glimpse of what our faith ultimately accomplishes.
Prayer is the beginning of communication with God, and what begins our
relationship with our Father. This one-on–one with Him is the sole
purpose of prayer.
Take Home Nugget
These eight devotions intend to provide a comprehensive blueprint to
follow in our own prayers. The first three passages frame God’s glory.
(His name, His kingdom, His will.) The middle three concern His care for
us, His children. (Give us, forgive us, lead us.) The final sentence
wraps up His kingdom, and our future as children in His family.
Prayer is hard work. Our communication with God is essential to our
spiritual growth and is as necessary to our well-being as breathing is
to our very lives.
Adapted from “Jesus’ Blueprint For Prayer” by Haddon Robinson. Part of
the Discovery Series published by RBC Ministries in Grand Rapids, MI.
Copyright 1989. 2002.
J.D Griffith
