Notes from Sabbath School: WLC #187
- Notes from Sabbath School on the Larger Catechism, WLC #187 — How is the Lord’s Prayer to be used?
- WLC #187 — Q. How is the Lord’s Prayer to be used?
- A: The Lord’s Prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer.1
- In what ways may the Lord’s Prayer serve as a model for our prayers?
- A model of reverence
- A model of simplicity and directness
- A model of God-centredness
- A model of requests for material and spiritual needs with forgiveness of sins.
- How may it be used as a prayer.
- With conscious guarding against formalism.
- When prayed with “understanding, faith reverence, and other graces necessary to the right perfomance of the duty of prayer.”
- Objections answered.
- Liable to abuse?
- “The fact that something is liable to abuse does not constitute an argument against its proper and legitimate use.” (Vos, 541)
- The Lord gives explicit instruction that it be said as a prayer. Luke 11:2, “When ye pray, say, Our Father….”
- Not for the New Covenant?
- It is not expressive of “law” or “works” as a way of forgiveness as forgiveness has never been offered or available in respoonse to works. This prayer is expressive of gospel sanctification. (See WLC #194.)
- Not a prayer in the name of Christ?
- As this prayer is to “Our Father” it is necessarily offered in and through Christ, for it is only in Christ that we may have God as our Father.
- Liable to abuse?
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Matt. 6:9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…. ↩