An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 28

THE GOOD AND GRACIOUS WILL OF G.o.d. The will of G.o.d is always good and gracious, because He always wills those things which He, in His wisdom and love, [I John 4:16] sees are best. He does all things well, even when we do not understand His ways. [Isa. 55:8, 9, Rom. 8:28]

IS DONE INDEED WITHOUT OUR PRAYER. There will always be some persons who permit G.o.d to accomplish His good and gracious purposes in them, whether we pray for it or not. [Isa. 55:11]

BUT WE PRAY IN THIS PEt.i.tION THAT IT MAY BE DONE BY US ALSO; [Rom.

12:12] that is, that we may believe His Gospel, obey His Commandments, and trustfully permit Him to lead us in whatsoever paths He will.

WHAT WE PRAY G.o.d TO DO.

In order that G.o.d's good and gracious will may be done by us, all opposing wills must be overcome. [Luke 22:31] We therefore pray G.o.d

1. TO FRUSTRATE AND BRING TO NOUGHT THE WILL OF THE DEVIL, [II Cor.

2:11] OF THE WORLD [I John 2:15, 16] (wicked persons), AND OF OUR OWN FLESH [Gal. 5:17+] (our natural heart). For these are the great enemies of our souls, who by their EVIL COUNSELS AND PURPOSES WOULD HINDER US FROM HALLOWING THE NAME OF G.o.d AND PREVENT HIS KINGDOM FROM COMING TO US. They tempt us to oppose G.o.d's will by despising His Gospel, disobeying His Commandments, and murmuring against His dealings with us.

We pray G.o.d

2. TO STRENGTHEN US, [Phil. 2:13] so that we may be able to overcome these enemies and do G.o.d's will in spite of them. [Eph. 6:11, 12+] They are very powerful, but if we are in earnest about overcoming them, G.o.d will give us the needful strength in answer to our prayer. We pray G.o.d

3. TO KEEP US STEADFAST IN HIS WORD IN THE FAITH EVEN OUR END, [Phil.

1:6, I Pet. 4:19] so that we may believe the Gospel with all our heart, live holy Christian lives, trust G.o.d to lead us as He sees best, and be faithful unto death, that we may receive the crown of life.

QUESTIONS.--1. What do we pray for in this pet.i.tion? 2. What do we mean by G.o.d's will in this pet.i.tion? 3. How do we pray that G.o.d's will may be done? 4. Why is the will of G.o.d good and gracious? 5. How is G.o.d's will done without our prayer? 6. When do we do G.o.d's will? 7. What three things do we pray G.o.d to do? 8. What three wills oppose the will of G.o.d?

9. What do the devil, the world, and our own flesh seek? 10. Why do we pray G.o.d to strengthen us? 11. When do we remain steadfast in G.o.d's Word and in the faith?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--I Tim. 2:4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

I Thess. 4:3. For this is the will of G.o.d, even your sanctification.

Rom. 8:17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of G.o.d, and joint heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Gal. 5:17. For the flesh l.u.s.teth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Eph. 6:11, 12. Put on the whole armour of G.o.d, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against princ.i.p.alities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

READING.--Jesus in Gethsemane, Matt. 26:36-44.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE FOURTH PEt.i.tION.

Give us this day our daily bread.

_What is meant by this Pet.i.tion?_

G.o.d gives, indeed, without our prayer, even to the wicked also, their daily bread; but we pray in this pet.i.tion that He would make us sensible of His benefits, and enable us to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

_What is implied in the words "our daily bread"?_

All things that pertain to the wants and the support of this present life; such as food, raiment, money, goods, house and land, and other property; a believing spouse and good children; trustworthy servants and faithful magistrates; favorable seasons, peace and health; education and honor; true friends, good neighbors, and the like.

In this Pet.i.tion we acknowledge that every good gift comes from G.o.d; [Jas. 1:17] and we pray that He would give us, day by day, those things which we need for our earthly support and comfort, and would make us content and thankful.

THE PEt.i.tION ITSELF.

While we are to pray first and chiefly for spiritual blessings, the Saviour here teaches us that we may and should pray for temporal benefits also.

GIVE. By praying G.o.d to _give_ us our daily bread, we acknowledge that it comes from Him.[9] He is the absolute owner of all things, [I Cor.

10:26] and divides to all men as He will. All that we have is His gift.

He gives it as a blessing upon our labor; hence, we must work as well as pray. [II Thess. 3:10] But without His blessing, our labor would be in vain. [Ps. 127:1] The farmer sows, but G.o.d gives the increase.

[Footnote 9: Compare this Pet.i.tion with the First Article of the Creed and its Explanation.]

US. We are taught to pray not only for ourselves, but for others also.

We should be concerned that they too may have their daily bread; and, when necessary, we should give them a portion of what G.o.d has first given to us, and thus become the means through which He supplies their wants. [Heb. 13:16]

THIS DAY. We are not to pray for "much goods for many years," but only for this one day's needful supply. When the morrow comes, if we are still alive, we are to pray again. [Matt.6:34+] We are to depend upon G.o.d from day to day. We are, indeed, to make a proper provision for our future, but we are not to give way to anxious, unbelieving care about it.

OUR. We ask for bread which we may call our own, bread honestly gotten, bread which G.o.d intends we shall have as a reward of our labor; not some one's else bread, and not such things as G.o.d, in His wisdom, sees fit to withhold from us.

DAILY BREAD. According to Luther's explanation in the Catechism, our daily bread includes

ALL THINGS WHICH PERTAIN TO THE WANTS AND THE SUPPORT OF THIS PRESENT LIFE; such as:--

FOOD, RAIMENT, to supply our bodily wants;

MONEY, GOODS, HOUSE AND LAND, AND OTHER PROPERTY, by means of which we may procure the supply of our bodily wants;

A BELIEVING SPOUSE AND GOOD CHILDREN, that we may have a good Christian home;

TRUSTWORTHY SERVANTS AND FAITHFUL MAGISTRATES, that we may have the help and protection which we need for the enjoyment of our own;

FAVORABLE SEASONS, PEACE AND HEALTH, EDUCATION AND HONOR, TRUE FRIENDS, GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND THE LIKE,--all those things which increase our earthly well-being and happiness.

While we pray in this pet.i.tion that G.o.d would give us all the things enumerated above, _if He sees fit_, we should remember that He is still giving us our daily bread when He gives us only those things which we actually must have for the support of our life. [1 Tim. 6:8]

WHY WE PRAY THUS.

G.o.d GIVES INDEED, WITHOUT OUR PRAYER, EVEN TO THE WICKED [Matt. 5:45]

ALSO THEIR DAILY BREAD; for G.o.d is good, and seeks to lead men to repentance by His goodness. [Rom. 2:4]

BUT WE PRAY IN THIS PEt.i.tION THAT HE WOULD MAKE US SENSIBLE OF HIS BENEFITS, so that we may acknowledge them as His gifts, [Deut. 8:10] and not ascribe them to our own efforts or to chance, as the worldly and unbelieving do.

AND ENABLE US TO RECEIVE OUR DAILY BREAD WITH THANKSGIVING. [Eph. 5:20+]

Since all the blessings we enjoy are G.o.d's gifts, bestowed without any worthiness on our part, [Gen. 32:10] we pray that we may always receive them with thankful hearts, and express our grat.i.tude with our lips and in our lives. We should give thanks at every meal, and in all our prayers.