Reflections on God: Doxology

We come, now, to the last part of the Lord's Prayer.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:13

This last bit of the Lord's Prayer isn't a petition. It's a doxology. And what's that? A doxology is an expression of praise to God. If you think about it, the Psalms are filled with doxologies. The last of the canonical Psalms is pure doxology. But doxology is not just an Old Testament thing. Here's one example from the New Testament.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21

And as you can see in this example, a doxology usually speaks of some particular aspect of God that is being praised. In this case, it is how He powerfully answers prayer.

I think that you will agree that a doxology is a fitting way to end the Lord's Prayer.

But there are depths here, depths that need to be explored if we are going to understand and appreciate what doxologies are about. So, a few questions.
 

 

Why are there doxologies? That is, why does God want us to praise Him? Is this about His ego? I'm sure that as soon as you read that last sentence you recoiled from the thought that God has ego problems. But that is one thing that some people think. As far as they are concerned, what other reason for praise can there be?

The fact of the matter is that praising God is not for His benefit but for ours. When we praise Him for the great God that He is, we are reminded about who He is and who we are (and aren't!).

You can see this in the doxology that closes the Lord's Prayer. Consider what it is that God is being praised for.

For thine is the kingdom...

God is the one who rules this world - not us, either individually or corporately.  This is who He is. And what does this say about us? We are people who have been created to submit to Him according to whatever He calls for.

For thine is … the power…

He is the Almighty, the omnipotent One. His power is beyond our ability to comprehend. And He uses that power for our good. (Look again at that quote from Ephesians.) We, on the other hand, are so very weak. And this reminds us that we are the ones with the ego problems as we try to hide our weakness. But it is in our weakness that we can appreciate the power that He grants to us. Remember Paul and his thorn in the flesh. (2 Corinthians 12.1-10 and especially v.9)

For thine is … the glory.

This is about the beauty of God. We can see this beauty in the revelation of who He is and what He does. We, on the other hand, are called to be enthralled by that beauty - and as we grow in our ability to see it we will be enthralled more and more. I suspect that we will be spending a great deal of time in the age to come being amazed at how God skillfully worked His plan to rescue all of us many saints and, in so doing, to reveal the wonders of who He is.

Now a thought about making this yours.

It is my habit, as a part of my morning prayers, to begin and end with a doxology. I wrote the one that ends my prayer time. But I copied the opening doxology.

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Revelation 5:13

And what particular aspect of God is being praised here? Well, first, of the Father, the imagery of the throne is about rule. He rules over every aspect of this creation. And that has been such a good reminder to me, especially of late, as I watch a nation take another step toward disintegration. My Father rules, so even this is from His hand. And second, Jesus is referred to by the name 'the Lamb'. There were many names to choose from, but this is what John wrote. And what is being praised here? Jesus, as the Lamb, is the Savior who, by His sacrifice, will save the world. And that also has been a good reminder to me, especially lately.

So, in your daily prayers, what do you think about including a doxology to God - something to remind you about who God is and who you are? You can choose some Scripture or write one yourself. It strikes me as an important part of our prayers.

This brings to an end my Reflections on God using the Lord's Prayer. I hope that it has been of some help to you.