Reformed / Continental · 1563
Heidelberg Catechism (Modern English)
The Heidelberg Catechism rendered in clear, modern English. All 129 questions and answers faithfully preserve the original meaning while using contemporary language accessible to today's readers.
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without…
How many things do you need to know so that you may live and die in the joy of this comfort?
Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such redemption.
How do you come to know your sin and misery?
From the law of God.
What does God's law require of us?
Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22:37–40: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend…
Can you keep all this perfectly?
No, by nature I am inclined to hate God and my neighbor.
Did God create us wicked and perverse?
No, on the contrary, God created us good and in his image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that we might truly know God our Creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness, praising and glorifying him.
Then where does this corrupt human nature come from?
From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, for there our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.
But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil?
Yes, unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.
But does God not treat us unfairly by requiring in his law what we cannot do?
No, for God made us able to do it. But we, at the instigation of the devil, by willful disobedience robbed ourselves and all our descendants of these gifts.
Will God allow such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
Certainly not. God is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins. Therefore he will punish them by a just judgment both now and eternally, as he has declared: "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."
But is God not also merciful?
God is indeed merciful, but he is also just. His justice requires that sin committed against the most high majesty of God be punished with the most severe—that is, with everlasting—punishment of body and soul.
Since we deserve temporal and eternal punishment according to God's righteous judgment, how can we escape this punishment and be received back into favor?
God demands that his justice be satisfied. Therefore full payment must be made either by ourselves or by another.
Can we make this payment ourselves?
Certainly not. On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.
Can any mere creature make this payment for us?
No. In the first place, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which humans have committed. Furthermore, no mere creature can sustain the weight of God's eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it.
What kind of mediator and deliverer must we look for then?
One who is a true and righteous human being, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.
Why must he be a true and righteous human being?
He must be a true human being because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which sinned should pay for sin. He must be a righteous human being because one who is himself a sinner cannot pay for others.
Why must he at the same time be true God?
He must be true God so that by the power of his divine nature he might bear in his human nature the weight of God's wrath, and might obtain for us and restore to us righteousness and life.
Then who is this mediator—true God and at the same time a true and righteous human being?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given to us for complete redemption and righteousness.
How do you know this?
From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise. Later, he had it proclaimed by the patriarchs and prophets, and foreshadowed by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law. Finally, he had it fulfilled through his only-begotten Son.
Are all people then saved by Christ just as all were lost through Adam?
No. Only those who by true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits are saved.
What is true faith?
True faith is a sure knowledge by which I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word. At the same time it is a firm confidence that not only to others, but also to me, God has granted forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, out of sheer grace, only for the…
What then must a Christian believe?
All that is promised us in the gospel, which the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith teach us in summary.
What are these articles?
I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord; he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose…
How are these articles divided?
Into three parts: the first is about God the Father and our creation; the second about God the Son and our redemption; the third about God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
Since there is only one God, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
Because God has revealed himself in his Word in such a way that these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal God.
What do you believe when you say: I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide…
What do you understand by the providence of God?
Providence is the almighty and ever-present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact,…
What good does it do us to know that God created all things and still upholds them by his providence?
We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.
Why is the Son of God called Jesus, meaning Savior?
Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is pointless to look for any salvation elsewhere.
Do those who look for their salvation in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only Savior Jesus?
No. Although they boast of being his, by their actions they deny the only Savior and deliverer, Jesus. Either Jesus is not a perfect Savior, or those who in true faith accept this Savior have in him all they need for their salvation.
Why is he called Christ, meaning Anointed?
Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance; our only high priest who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body, and who…
But why are you called a Christian?
Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for…
Why is he called God's only-begotten Son when we also are children of God?
Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God—adopted by grace through Christ.
Why do you call him our Lord?
Because—not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood—he has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil, and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own.
What does it mean that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary?
That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might become David's true descendant, like his brothers and sisters in every way except for sin.
How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you?
He is our mediator, and with his innocence and perfect holiness he removes from God's sight my sin—mine since I was conceived.
What do you understand by the word suffered?
That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ bore in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, he might set us free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gain…
Why did he suffer under Pontius Pilate as judge?
So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by an earthly judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us.
Is there something significant about his being crucified instead of dying some other way?
Yes. This death convinces me that he shouldered the curse which lay on me, since death by crucifixion was cursed by God.
Why did Christ have to suffer death?
Because God's justice and truth demand it: only the death of God's Son could pay for our sin.
Why was he buried?
His burial testified that he had really died.
Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?
Our death does not pay for our sins. Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life.
What further benefit do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?
Through Christ's death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer reign in us, but that instead we may offer ourselves as a sacrifice of gratitude to him.
Why does the creed add, he descended into hell?
To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.
How does Christ's resurrection benefit us?
First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he won for us by his death. Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life. Third, Christ's resurrection is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection.
What do you mean by saying, he ascended into heaven?
That Christ, while his disciples watched, was lifted up from the earth to heaven and will be there for our good until he comes again to judge the living and the dead.
But isn't Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised?
Christ is true human and true God. In his human nature Christ is not now on earth; but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is never absent from us for a moment.
If his humanity is not present wherever his divinity is, then aren't the two natures of Christ separated from each other?
Certainly not. Since divinity is not limited and is present everywhere, it is evident that Christ's divinity is surely beyond the bounds of the humanity he has taken on, but at the same time his divinity is in and remains personally united to his humanity.
How does Christ's ascension to heaven benefit us?
First, he pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father. Second, we have our own flesh in heaven—a sure guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven. Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit's power we make the goal…
Why the next words: and sits at the right hand of God?
Christ ascended to heaven to show that he is head of his church, and that the Father rules all things through him.
How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us?
First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members. Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies.
How does Christ's return to judge the living and the dead comfort you?
In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very one who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me. He will condemn all his and my enemies to everlasting punishment, but me and all his chosen…
What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit?
First, he, together with the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, he has been given to me personally, so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings, comforts me, and will remain with me forever.
What do you believe concerning the holy catholic church?
I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living…
What do you understand by the communion of saints?
First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it their duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members.
What do you believe concerning the forgiveness of sins?
I believe that God, because of Christ's atoning work, will never hold against me any of my sins nor my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life. Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment.
How does the resurrection of the body comfort you?
Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head, but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious body.
How does the article concerning life everlasting comfort you?
Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally.
But what good does it do you to believe all this?
In Christ I am right with God and heir to life everlasting.
How are you right with God?
Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants…
Why do you say that through faith alone you are right with God?
It is not because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ's satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God. And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than through faith alone.
Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with him?
Because the righteousness which can pass God's judgment must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. But even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin.
How can you say that the good we do doesn't earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next?
This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace.
But doesn't this teaching make people careless and ungodly?
No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude.
Since it is by faith alone that we share in Christ and all his blessings, where does that faith come from?
The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments.
What are sacraments?
Sacraments are holy visible signs and seals, appointed by God for this purpose: to make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and to put his seal on that promise. And this is God's gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ's one…
Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
Right! In the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us and through the holy sacraments he assures us that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross.
How many sacraments did Christ institute in the New Testament?
Two: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
How does baptism remind you and assure you that Christ's one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally?
In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing and with it gave the promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul's impurity—that is, all my sins.
What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit?
To be washed with Christ's blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ's blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ's Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I…
Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?
In the institution of baptism where he says: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." This promise is repeated…
Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins?
No, only Jesus Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.
Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?
God has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies. But more important, he wants to assure us, by this divine pledge and sign, that the washing away of our sins spiritually is as real as…
Should infants also be baptized?
Yes. Infants as well as adults are in God's covenant and are his people. They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant, infants should be received into the Christian…
How does the Lord's Supper remind you and assure you that you share in Christ's one sacrifice on the cross and in all his gifts?
In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread and to drink this cup. With this command he gave this promise: First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup shared with me, so surely his body was offered and broken for me and…
What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink his poured-out blood?
It means to accept with a believing heart the entire suffering and death of Christ and by doing so to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But it means more. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ's blessed body. And so, although…
Where does Christ promise to nourish and refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat this broken bread and drink this cup?
In the institution of the Lord's Supper: "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new…
Are the bread and wine changed into the actual body and blood of Christ?
No. Just as the water of baptism is not changed into Christ's blood and does not itself wash away sins but is simply God's sign and assurance, so too the bread of the Lord's Supper is not changed into the actual body of Christ, even though it is called the body of Christ in keeping with the nature…
Why then does Christ call the bread his body and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood?
Christ has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that as bread and wine nourish our temporal life, so too his crucified body and poured-out blood truly nourish our souls for eternal life. But more important, he wants to assure us, by this visible sign and pledge, that we, through the…
How does the Lord's Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass?
The Lord's Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself accomplished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with his very body is now in heaven at the right…
Who should come to the Lord's table?
Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their remaining weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life.…
Should those who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly be admitted to the Lord's Supper?
No, that would dishonor God's covenant and bring down God's anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their…
What are the keys of the kingdom?
The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.
How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?
According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to each and every believer that, every time they believe the gospel promise, all their sins are truly forgiven by God for the sake of Christ's merits. The kingdom of heaven is closed by…
How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline?
According to the command of Christ: Those who, despite repeated personal and public warnings, refuse to stop their unchristian behavior are reported to the church—that is, to its officers. If they do not listen even to the church's warning, they are excluded from the Christian community by the…
Since we have been delivered from our misery by grace through Christ without any merit of our own, why then should we do good works?
Because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, is also restoring us by his Spirit into his image, so that with our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits, so that he may be praised through us, so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our…
Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and unrepentant ways?
By no means. Scripture tells us that no sexually immoral person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no greedy person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like will inherit the kingdom of God.
What is involved in genuine repentance or conversion?
Two things: the dying of the old self, and the coming to life of the new.
What is the dying of the old self?
It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it.
What is the coming to life of the new self?
It is wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to.
What do we do that is good?
Only that which arises out of true faith, conforms to God's law, and is done for his glory; and not that which is based on what we think is right or on established human tradition.
What does the Lord say in his law?
God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to…
How are these commandments divided?
Into two tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us how we should relate to God. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our neighbor.
What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious practices, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him,…
What is idolatry?
Idolatry is having or inventing something in which you trust in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in his Word.
What does God require in the second commandment?
That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word.
May we not make any image at all?
God cannot and may not be visually portrayed in any way. Although creatures may be portrayed, God forbids making or having such images if one's purpose is to worship them or to serve God through them.
But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned?
No, we shouldn't try to be wiser than God. He wants his people instructed by the living preaching of his Word—not by idols that cannot even talk.
What does God require in the third commandment?
That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such terrible sins by being silent bystanders. In short, that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may rightly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in…
Is blaspheming God's name by swearing and cursing really such a serious sin that God is angry even with those who do not do all they can to prevent and forbid it?
Yes, indeed. No sin is greater or makes God more angry than blaspheming his name. That is why he commanded the death penalty for it.
But may we swear an oath in God's name if we do it reverently?
Yes, when the government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and promote truth and trustworthiness for the glory of God and our neighbor's good. Such oaths are approved in God's Word and were rightly used by believers in the Old and New Testaments.
May we also swear by saints or other creatures?
No. A legitimate oath means calling upon God as the one who knows my heart to witness to my truthfulness and to punish me if I swear falsely. No creature is worthy of such honor.
What does God require in the fourth commandment?
First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn what God's Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the…
What does God require in the fifth commandment?
That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and discipline me; and also that I be patient with their failings—for through them God chooses to rule us.
What does God require in the sixth commandment?
I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor—not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds—and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention…
Does this commandment refer only to killing?
By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, and vindictiveness. In God's eyes all such are murder.
Is it enough then that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?
No. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly toward them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies.
What does God require in the seventh commandment?
God condemns all sexual immorality. We should therefore thoroughly detest it and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives.
Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such obvious sins as adultery?
We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why he forbids everything which incites sexual immorality, whether it be actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires.
What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?
He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law. But in God's sight theft also includes cheating and swindling our neighbor by schemes made to appear legitimate, such as: inaccurate measurements of weight, size, or volume; fraudulent merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive…
What does God require of you in this commandment?
That I do whatever I can for my neighbor's good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need.
What is the aim of the ninth commandment?
That I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one's words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and…
What is the aim of the tenth commandment?
That not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right.
But can those who are converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?
No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God's commandments.
Since no one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly, why does God want them preached so pointedly?
First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's…
Why do Christians need to pray?
Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them.
How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us?
First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed himself in his Word, asking for everything he has commanded us to ask for. Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble ourselves in his majestic presence. Third, we must rest on…
What has God commanded us to pray for?
Everything we need, spiritually and physically, as embraced in the prayer Christ our Lord himself taught us.
What is this prayer?
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the…
Why did Christ command us to call God our Father?
At the very beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our prayer—the childlike reverence and trust that God through Christ has become our Father, and that just as our parents do not refuse us the things of this life, even less will God our Father refuse to give us what…
Why the words in heaven?
These words teach us not to think of God's heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything for body and soul from his almighty power.
What does the first petition mean?
Hallowed be your name means: help us to truly know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means: help us to direct all our living—what we think, say, and do—so that…
What does the second petition mean?
Your kingdom come means: rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil's work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your holy Word; do this until your kingdom is so…
What does the third petition mean?
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven means: help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.
What does the fourth petition mean?
Give us this day our daily bread means: provide for all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in created things and…
What does the fifth petition mean?
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors means: because of Christ's blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our…
What does the sixth petition mean?
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one means: by ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy…
What does your conclusion to this prayer mean?
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever means: we have made all these requests of you because, as our all-powerful king, you not only want to, but are able to give us all that is good; and because your holy name, and not we ourselves, should receive all the praise, forever.
What does that little word Amen mean?
Amen means: this is sure to be! It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer than that I really desire what I pray for.