as a householder should hold it up to his servants in the most simple way.
Our Father, who art in heaven.
What is it? Answer:
God wants to entice us with this, so that we should believe. Let him be our right Father and we his right children; so that we may confidently and with all confidence ask him, as dear children do their dear father.
The first request.
Hallowed be your name.
What is it? Answer:
God's name is indeed holy in Himself; but we ask in this prayer that it may be holy in us also.
How does this happen? Answer:
Help us, dear Father in heaven, if the Word of God is taught purely and unadulteratedly, and if we live by it as holy children of God. But whoever teaches and lives differently than the Word of God teaches, he profanes the name of God among us, so protect us, Heavenly Father.
The second request.
Your kingdom come.
What is it? Answer:
God's kingdom may well come from Himself without our prayer; but we ask in this prayer that it also come to us.
How does this happen? Answer:
When the heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, that we may believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly, here temporally and there eternally.
The third request.
Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also from earth.
What is it? Answer:
God's good gracious will may be done without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also be done with us.
How does this happen? Answer:
If God breaks and hinders all evil counsel and will, then do not sanctify the name of God and do not let His kingdom come, as it is the will of the devil, the world and our flesh; but strengthen and keep us firm in His word and faith until our end. This is his gracious good will.
The fourth request.
Give us this day our daily bread.
What is this ? Answer:
God gives daily bread, even without our asking, to all evil men; but we ask in this prayer that He may make us know it and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What does the daily bread mean? Answer:
Everything that belongs to the body food and need, as: Food, drink, clothes, shoes, house, yard, field, cattle, money, property, pious husband, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful overlords, good regiment, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and the like.
The fifth request.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What is it ? Answer :
We ask in this prayer that the Father in heaven will not look upon our sin and for its sake will not deny such a request.
For we are not worthy of any of these things, which we ask, neither do we deserve them; but let him give us all things by grace, because we sin much daily, and are well deserving of vain punishment. So we also want to forgive heartily and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
The sixth request.
And lead us not into temptation.
What is it? Answer:
God does not tempt anyone, but we ask in this prayer that God would protect and preserve us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh would not deceive and seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great disgraces and vices; and whether we would be challenged, that we would finally win and retain the victory.
The seventh request.
But deliver us from the evil.
What is it? Answer:
We pray in this prayer, as in the summa, that the Father in heaven will deliver us from all kinds of evil, body and soul, good and honor, and finally, when our hour comes, bring us to a blessed end and take us with grace from this pitiful valley to heaven.
Amen.
What is it? Answer:
That I may be sure that such petitions are acceptable to the Father in heaven and are heard; for he himself has commanded us to pray in this way, and has promised that he will hear us. Amen, amen, that means: Yes, yes, it shall be so.