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| Image from Pixabay |
The other day I heard a new song about the Lord's Prayer. It was on the radio in the car, though I don't remember the name. I rarely listen to the radio anywhere. I liked the song.
A few days before this, I was listening to something or reading about prayer and it covered the Lord's Prayer. I had one of those profound moments that seem to happen more often these days. On the off chance you're not familiar with this prayer, it is located in Matthew 3, Mark 11, and Luke 11. It is:
After this manner, therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.
In my mind, the last line of the prayer seemed to echo over and over, becoming a prayer itself. "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and The Glory, Forever!" It seemed to just roll over and over. I was overwhelmed by that one line for sometime, unable to fathom why I had never heard it before. I have heard this prayer hundreds, if not thousands. Most school children of my generation could recite it without missing a word. And yet, in that moment, it was as if I had never known the last line of that prayer.
No, it wasn't rational. It made little sense. A week later, I still don't know why this struck me in such a fashion. It just did.
All I could think of in that moment was, what if the whole world prayed that one line together? What if one country stood and prayed that one line loudly? What if in every meeting, in every ballpark, in every school, in every store, in every street, car, and bus? What if that line was the end of every prayer we prayed, every petition we uttered?
What if every cry in the darkest place was "For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever!"
What would happen?
I can't imagine.
