The Azusa Weekly

July 18, 2025

Vol. 7, Issue 12 (Summer 2025)

Jesus taught us to 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 this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

(Matt 6:9-13)

Jesus’ model prayer for us shows us how to pray and Who we pray to–we pray to our Father in Heaven. Prayer shifts our focus as we worship. We pray for His kingdom to come down and for His will to be done. We pray for daily provision and trust in God to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. We ask forgiveness for our sins, as we forgive those who have wronged us. We pray to not be led into temptation, and trust God to deliver us from the evil one and make a way of escape.

Some translations do not include this ending, but I like the way the New King James Version ends the Lord’s Prayer: “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

The Lord’s Prayer ends here with praise. God alone is to be praised and worshipped. He alone is worthy. 

This is good practice for eternity. We’re going to be praising God forever! This ending sounds like Heaven!

“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

‘You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.’”

(Rev. 4:10-11)

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!’

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

‘Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’

Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”

(Rev. 5:11-14)

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.’”

(Rev. 7:9-12)

To me, ending prayer in praise really positions our hearts to trust. We have prayed for much–for His kingdom, His will, for daily bread, for forgiveness, and deliverance. We normally have not seen the answer to all our prayers by the time we lift off our knees. But like the song says, “Take your burdens to the Lord, and leave them there.” Praise at the end is saying, “Alright Lord, I praise You in advance. I even praise You before I see anything, because You alone are worthy. I trust You. I’m giving this all to You. Amen.”

~ Cooper