Sermon on The Lord’s Prayer - part 2 | sermon by Father. Mungamuri Devadasu | Bible Mission

 “Our Father in Heaven”

1. Hallowed be Your Name – This is about honoring and sanctifying God's name.
2. Your Kingdom come – A prayer for God’s reign to be established on earth.
3. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven – A request for God’s divine plan to be fulfilled on earth just as it is in heaven.

These first three parts are solely related to God—His holiness, His kingdom, and His will.

“Give us this day our daily bread” – This part pertains to human life and our daily needs.

1. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – About spiritual forgiveness and grace.
2. Lead us not into temptation – A plea to be kept away from trials and sinful temptations.
3. Deliver us from evil – A request to be saved from the power of evil.

These three focus on human devotion and spiritual life—forgiveness, protection, and deliverance.

“For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

This final part serves as a concluding praise and declaration of God’s eternal sovereignty.

“Our Father in Heaven” serves as the introductory phrase to the entire prayer. The term “Our Father” is not a name but a term of relationship, signifying intimacy and a spiritual connection with God. When we call Him "Father," our focus shifts toward salvation and divine grace. However, at this stage, God’s specific name is not yet revealed. When we say “Hallowed be Your Name,” it indicates that God has a name to be honored and revered. That name, fully revealed in the incarnation, is “Jesus Christ.” This shifts our focus to His earthly presence and mission. When we pray “Your Kingdom come,” our attention turns toward the global Christian community—the expansion of God’s reign on earth. With “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” our focus moves both upward and downward—toward the angels in heaven, who perfectly obey God’s will, and toward humans on earth, who are called to live in obedience and devotion.

Currently, God’s will is not yet fully established on earth, but it will be completely fulfilled during the Millennial Reign when Christ’s kingdom is fully realized.

Food, in this context, represents all necessities required for physical life—houses, fields, wealth, crops, family, church members, government officials, and friends. All these elements contribute to our bodily sustenance. However, this also reminds us of spiritual nourishment. No matter how much physical food we have, if God's blessing is absent, it cannot truly sustain our lives.

When we pray, "Forgive us," it acknowledges the burden of sin. This phrase is a plea from a soul in distress. Some people avoid reciting the Lord’s Prayer because they struggle to forgive their enemies. The phrase "Lead us not into temptation" signifies a deeper prayer: "God, though You have forgiven us, we ask that You keep us from falling into sin again." The word "evil" reminds us of all the sins and wickedness present in the world. Hence, in this prayer, we are asking:
"Lord, deliver us from this world and bring us into eternal salvation!"