Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, just 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.
Do you remember, children, who composed the prayers with which we turn to God? Some prayers were composed by the holy fathers, others were given to us by God Himself. Do you remember through whom God gave people a prayer called the Trisagion, or angelic song? Through one godly boy? There is, children, prayer, and prayer is the most important of all prayers, because the Savior taught us it when he lived on earth; This prayer is called the Lord's prayer. Cross yourself and say the Lord’s Prayer with me in conversational speech that we understand: Our Father who lives in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our necessary bread for this day 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 Thine is the kingdom, the omnipotence and the glory forever. Amen.
The Savior gave us a small prayer, children, but in this prayer he allowed us to ask Him for a lot.
First, let's look at how the Savior told us to call God: Our Father who lives in heaven. What kind of our Father, who lives in heaven, is being spoken about here? Of course, about God, who created us all and gives us everything we need for life, who cares and takes care of us, loves us all, like the father of his children.
True, God is angry with people when they do not obey Him, and removes them from Himself when they sin seriously. But when people repent before God, then He forgives them and again helps them in everything.
Why did the Savior tell us to say our Father, and not my Father? Because we are all, redeemed by Jesus Christ from eternal destruction, brothers among ourselves and constitute one great family of the Heavenly Father. Is a family happy in which some of the children have plenty of everything, while others are poor? Of course not. So we must say to the Heavenly Father: Our Father, and not me alone; Give what we need for the well-being of all of us, and not just me.
Why did Jesus Christ tell us to say to God: Our Father who lives in heaven? Then, so that when we call God Father and pray to Him, our souls would be transported to heaven and would not think about anything earthly.
And what, children, when we said to God: Our Father who lives in heaven, did we ask Him for something or not? No, they didn’t ask for anything, but only named or called upon God, which is why these words in the Lord’s Prayer are called invocation. In church invocation it sounds like this: Our Father, who is in heaven. Here the word Father is said instead of Father; Who lives instead of ecu, in heaven instead of in heaven.
Who composed the prayers by which we pray to God? What prayers has God given us? Whom did Jesus Christ tell us to call Father in this prayer? Why do we need to say: Our Father, and not my Father? Why do we need to add: living in heaven? Repeat the invocation in church language. What words did you say differently in church than in conversation?
Hallowed be Thy name! Now, children, Jesus Christ taught us, first of all, to ask the Heavenly Father that the name of God may be holy. Isn't God holy? God is holy and most holy in Himself, but people do not always use the name of God holy. Sometimes they do not pray to God diligently, other times they even mention the name of God almost as a joke; There are also such bad people that they will perhaps swear, that is, call God Himself as a witness, that they told the truth; in fact, they will lie and not tell the truth. These are the people, think about it, children, do they use the name of God holy? Of course not. Because of this, misfortunes happen to them in life, and God deprives them of his heavenly blessings. Do you think that if people do not properly honor God, will they honor their bosses, their elders, and each other? Probably not, because God commanded us to love and honor everyone. So, children, the first good in life is when people use the name of God as a great shrine, when they holyly fulfill everything that has, so to speak, the seal of the name of God, which is commanded to people by God Himself.
This means that if we live well and do good deeds, then we will show that we use and preserve the name of God holy and carefully. Let our first petition to the Heavenly Father be that He Himself help us to always use His great name holy and to show through our lives that we honor God, our Heavenly Father, above and above all.
What is the first thing Jesus Christ taught us to ask of Heavenly Father? Do people always use the name of God holy? Can people be happy without worshiping God? Why can't they? Who really uses God's name holy?
May Your Kingdom come! In these words, Jesus Christ taught us to ask Heavenly Father for His Kingdom to come, expand and establish itself on earth. Without our prayer, cannot God establish His Kingdom on earth? God established His Kingdom on earth once and for all; only not all people are in His Kingdom, because only those who try to fulfill the law of Christ can be in the Kingdom of Christ. And whoever does not live according to the rules of Christ’s law cannot be in the Kingdom of God. And what kind of Kingdom would the Heavenly Father have on earth if all the evil, lazy and careless people were in it; they would interfere with the good and pious and oppress them!.. So, children, we need to take care and ask the Heavenly Father that He Himself will help us to stay in His gracious Kingdom on earth, so that His Kingdom will increase more and more, so that people, fulfilling the law of Christ, will become loyal subjects of the Heavenly King and receive eternal salvation. How do we know that we are in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father?
The Kingdom of God on earth is truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit... This means that when we act truthfully in everything, live with everyone in peace and harmony and never lose peace - even in misfortune, then we will belong to the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father.
What did Jesus Christ teach us to ask Heavenly Father for in the second petition? Who can really be in Heavenly Father's Kingdom? Why is this so? What do we need to do to stay in the Kingdom of Christ? How do we know that we are in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father?
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! In these words, Jesus Christ commanded us to ask Heavenly Father that His will be done on earth just as it is done in heaven.