Lutheran Prayer

Heritage Lutheran Church
LC-MS Cross

The Lutheran Fathers, in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession confess thus: "Both the promise and the bestowal of merits are therefore the sources of trust in mercy. Such trust in God's promise and Christ's merits must be the basis for prayer. We must be completely certain that we are heard for Christ's sake and that by his merits we have a gracious Father."

Why Pray?

The Holy Bible records this promise in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14:

"When I shut up the heaven so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

The Lord's Prayer

Jesus' instructions regarding what to pray are recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 6th Chapter, beginning at verse 9. (NIV)

This, then,is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

Human tradition, using other Bible passages as reference, has expanded the above prayer into the form most Christians recite today.

"Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen."