168 We have now heard what one should do and believe, in which is the best and most blessed life; now follow the third part, how one should pray. For since it is thus
is done with us, that no man can keep the ten commandments perfectly, though he has begun to believe, and the devil has taken hold with all his might together with the world and our
Nothing is so necessary as to make God listen to us, to call us and to ask Him to give us faith and the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments, and to keep and increase them, and to remove everything that lies in our way and hinders us. But that we may know what and how we ought to pray, our Lord Christ himself has taught us the way and the word, as we shall see.
But before we explain the Lord's Prayer one after the other, it is most necessary to first exhort the people to prayer, as Christ did, Luc. 18, 1. Matth. 7, 7. and the apostles did, 1 Thess. 5, 17. 1 Petr. 4, 8. Jac. 1, 6. And the first thing should be to know how we are to pray for the sake of God's commandment. For we have heard in the other commandment, Exodus 20:7, "You shall not take God's name in vain," that it requires us to praise the holy name, to call upon it in all distress, or to pray. For to call upon is nothing else than to pray; so that it is strictly and earnestly commanded, as high as all others, to have no other God, not to kill, not to steal etc. Lest anyone think that it is the same, I pray or do not pray, as the rude people go in such delusion and thought: What should I pray, who knows whether God respects my prayer or wants to hear it? if I do not pray, then someone else prays; and so they get into the habit that they never pray, and take as a remedy that we reject false and hypocritical prayers, as if we taught that one should or should not pray.
170 This is true, however, that what has been done so far for prayers, sung and sung in the church etc., has certainly not been a prayer. For such an outward thing, where it is right, may be an exercise for young children, pupils and simple-minded people, and may be called sung or read, but it is not actually called prayed. But it is called praying, as the other commandment teaches, calling upon God in all troubles. This is what he wants from us, and it should not be left to our discretion, but we should and must pray if we want to be Christians, just as we should and must be obedient to father, mother and the authorities. For by calling and asking, the name of God is honored and made useful.
used. This you must remember above all things, that with it one may keep silent and repel such thoughts as keep us back and discourage us. For just as it is of no account that a son should say to his father: What is [God's] interest in my obedience? I will go and do what I can, yet it is equally valid; but there stands the commandment, Thou shalt and shalt do. So also here it is not in my will to do and not to do, but it should and must be prayed.
From this you should conclude and think, because it is so highly commanded to pray, that no one should despise his prayer, but keep it great and much. And always take the same from the other commandments. A child should by no means despise his obedience to his father and mother, but should always remember: The work is a work of obedience, and what I do, I do not do differently, but that I walk in obedience and God's commandment, on which I could found and base myself, and esteem this great, not for the sake of my worthiness, but for the sake of the commandment. So also here: What and for what we ask, we are to regard as demanded by God and done in His obedience, and thus think: For my sake it would be nothing, but therefore it shall be valid that God has commanded it. Thus, whatever a person asks, he should always come before God in obedience to this commandment.
Therefore we beseech and exhort everyone most diligently to take this to heart, and in no way to despise our prayer, for hitherto it has been taught in the name of the devil, that no one has heeded it, and thought it enough that the work was done, that God hears it, or hears it not. That is, the prayer beaten into the entrenchment and mumbled on adventure; therefore it is a lost prayer. For we allow ourselves to be misled and deterred by such thoughts: I am not holy nor worthy enough; if I were as pious and holy as St. Peter, Paul, I would pray. But only far away with such thoughts; for the very commandment that Paul met, that also meets me, and is just as much for my sake the other commandment ge-
than for his sake, that he has no better nor holier commandment to boast of. Therefore you should say, "My prayer, which I do, is as precious, holy and pleasing to God as St. Paul's and the holy of holies; for I will gladly let him be holier in person, but not in commandment; because God does not regard prayer in person, but in his word and obedience. For on the commandment, on which all saints set their prayer, I also set mine: to this I pray the very thing for which they all ask or have asked.
Let this be the first and most necessary thing, that all our prayers be based on God's obedience and not on our person, whether we are sinners or pious, worthy or unworthy. And we should know that God is not joking, but will be angry and punish us if we do not ask, just as He punishes all other disobedience. Then he will not let our prayer be in vain and lost; for if he would not hear you, he would not call you to pray, and he would strike such a stern commandment upon it.
On the other hand, it should drive and excite us all the more that God has also made and promised a promise that what we ask should be yes and certain; as he says in the 50th Psalm, v. 15: "Call upon me in time of need, and I will save you"; and Christ in the Gospel, Matth. 7, 7: "Ask, and it shall be given you" etc.; for everyone "who asks, receives. This should awaken our hearts and set them on fire with desire and love to pray, because he testifies with his word that our prayer is heartily pleasing to him, and that it will certainly be heard and granted, so that we will not despise it or throw it to the wind and pray without certainty. You may lift this up to him and say: Here I come, dear Father, and ask not of my own accord, nor of my own worthiness, but of thy commandment and promise, which I cannot fail nor lie in. Whoever then does not believe such a promise, shall know again that he angers God, as he has greatly disgraced him and punished him with lies.
175. above which we shall also be enticed and
God should not only precede the commandment and the promise, but also provide the words and the manner, and put into our mouths how and what we should pray, so that we may see how heartily he takes care of our need, and never doubt that such prayer is pleasing to him and will certainly be heard; which is a great advantage over all other prayers that we might think up ourselves. For then the conscience would always be in doubt, saying, I have asked, but who knows how it will please him, or whether I have taken the right measure and manner? Therefore no noble prayer is to be found on earth, because it has such excellent testimony that God is glad to hear, for which we should not take the world's goods.
For this reason it is prescribed that we see and consider the need that compels and presses us to pray without ceasing. For whoever wants to ask must bring, present and name something that he desires; if not, it cannot be called a prayer. Therefore we have justly rejected the prayers of monks and priests, who howl and murmur in hostility day and night; but none of you think to ask for a hair's breadth: and if all the churches together with the clergy were brought together, they would have to confess that they have never asked for a drop of wine from the heart. For none of them has ever undertaken to pray out of obedience to God and faith in the promise, nor have they considered any need, but have thought no further, if it were directed to the best, than to do a good work, so that they might pay God, as those who would not take from Him, but only give to Him.
But where there is to be a right prayer, there must be an earnestness that one may feel one's need, and such need as oppresses us and impels us to cry out and shout; so then prayer goes by itself, as it should go, so that one needs no teaching, how one should prepare oneself for it and draw devotion. But the need that we both have for ourselves and for everyone will be found abundantly enough in the Lord's Prayer. Therefore, it should also serve to remind us of them, to consider them, and to take them to heart, so that we do not become weary of praying: for we have all
enough that we lack, but we lack it because we do not feel it or see it. For this reason God also wants you to complain about such needs and concerns and to put them on; not that He does not know, but that you set your heart on fire to desire more and more, and only spread your mantle wide and open it to receive much.
Therefore, from our youth, we should be accustomed to pray daily for all our needs, wherever we feel something happening to us, and also for other people among whom we are; for preachers, authorities, neighbors, and servants, and to always ask God for His commandment and promise, and to know that He does not want us to despise it. I say this because I would like to see such things brought back into the people, so that they learn to pray properly and do not go about it so roughly and coldly, from which they become more and more unskilled at praying every day; which the devil also wants and helps with all his strength, for he well feels what suffering and harm it does him when prayer goes on properly in the pregnancy.
For this we must know, that all our shield and protection is in prayer alone. For we are far too weak for the devil, with all his power and all his followers, to be able to trample us underfoot. Therefore we must think and take up arms, so that Christians may be equipped to stand against the devil. For what do you think that so far so great things have been accomplished, our enemies' plotting, plotting, murder and rebellion have been warded off or quelled, by which the devil has thought to oppress us along with the gospel, if some devout people's prayer had not come between them as an iron wall on our side? Otherwise, they themselves would have seen much else, how the devil would have corrupted all of Germany in his own blood. Now, however, they may confidently laugh it off and have their mockery; but we still want to be man enough for both them and the devil through prayer alone, if only we persist and do not let up. For where any devout Christian asks: Dear Father, let your will be done, he says
above: Yes, dear child, it shall be yes and happen, in defiance of Teusel and all the world.
180 Let this be said as an admonition, that above all things we should learn to esteem prayer as great and precious, and to know the proper difference between babbling and asking. For we do not condemn prayer, but we condemn loud and useless murmuring, just as Christ Himself condemns and forbids long whisperings, Matt. 23:14. Now we will treat the Lord's Prayer in the shortest and clearest way. There are now seven articles or petitions, one after the other, for all the needs that trouble us without ceasing, and each one is so great that it should drive us to pray for it all our lives.
The first request.
Hallowed be your name.
Now this is somewhat dark and not well spoken in German: for from our mother tongue we would speak thus: Heavenly Father, help that only your name may be holy! What then is it prayed that his name may become holy? Is he not holy before? Answer: Yes, it is always holy in its essence, but in our custom it is not holy. For God's name is given to us, because we have become Christians and have been baptized, so that we are called children of God and have the sacraments, by which He unites us with Him; so that everything that is God's should serve our use. Now there is the great need for which we should take the greatest care, that the name may have its honor, be kept holy and noble, as our highest treasure and sanctuary, which we have, and that we, as pious children, ask that his name, which is otherwise holy in heaven, may also be and remain holy on earth with us and with all the world.
How then does he become holy among us? Answer, most clearly, if it can be said: If both our doctrine and life are divine and Christian. For since in this prayer we call God our Father, we owe it to ourselves to conduct ourselves in every way like pious children,
That he may not have our shame, but honor and glory. Now he is profaned by us either with words or with works; for what we do on earth must be either word or work, speaking or doing. First, when one preaches, teaches, and speaks under God's name, which is false and deceptive, so that his name must adorn and sell lies; this is the greatest shame and dishonor to God's name. After that also, where one grossly brings the holy name into disgrace with swearing, cursing, sorcery etc.
Secondly, even with public evil life and works, when those who are called Christians and God's people are adulterers, drunkards, miserly wives, envious and evil-doers. Again, God's name must be disgraced and blasphemed for our sake. For just as it is a shame and dishonor to a natural father who has a wicked, unborn child who acts against him in word and deed, so that he must be despised and reviled for his sake: If we, who are called by his name and have all kinds of goods from him, teach, speak and live differently from godly and heavenly children, it is also to God's dishonor that he must hear it said of us, "We must not be children of God, but of the devil.
184 Thus you see that we are asking in this passage the very thing that God requires in the other commandment, namely, that one not take His name in vain for swearing, cursing, lying, deceiving, etc., but use it for God's praise and honor. For whoever uses God's name for any evil, profanes and desecrates this holy name; just as in ancient times a church was called desecrated if a murder or other crime was committed in it, or if a monstrance or shrine was profaned, when it was holy in itself and yet unholy in custom. Thus the play is easy and clear, if one only understands the language. To sanctify means as much as to praise, extol and honor both with words and works in our own way.
Now behold how highly such prayer is needed. For since we see how the world is so full of pests and false teachers, who
all use the holy name as a cover and pretense for their devilish doctrine, we should cry out and shout against all such without ceasing, both those who preach and believe falsely, and what our gospel and pure doctrine disputes, persecutes and wants to dampen, as bishops, tyrants, zealots etc. Item, also for ourselves, who have God's word, but are not grateful for it nor live by it as we should. If you ask this from your heart, you can be sure that it will please God. For he will not hear anything better than that his honor and praise should be above and beyond all things, that his word should be taught purely and be held precious and valuable.
The second request.
Your kingdom come.
(186) As we asked in the first part, concerning God's honor and name, that God would not let the world adorn its lies and wickedness under it, but would keep it holy, both with doctrine and life, that He might be praised and glorified in us: so we ask here that His kingdom also come. But just as God's name is holy in Himself, and yet we ask that He be holy with us, so also His kingdom comes of itself without our asking; but we ask nevertheless that it may come to us, that is, that it may go among us and with us, so that we also may be a part of it, under which His name may be sanctified and His kingdom may go forth.
What does "God's kingdom" mean? Answer: Nothing other than what we have just heard in faith, that God sent His Son, Christ our Lord, into the world to redeem us and set us free from the power of the devil, and to bring us to Himself and reign as a king of righteousness, life and salvation, against sin, death and evil conscience, for which He also gave His Holy Spirit, who brought these things to us through His holy Word, and enlightened and strengthened us by His power in faith. For this reason we ask here first of all that this may be strengthened in us, and that His name may be so glorified through the holy Word of God and Christian life, both so that we, who accept it, may be able to live our lives in peace.
and that it may gain a chance and a following among other people, and that it may pass mightily through the world, so that many of them may come to the kingdom of grace, be made partakers of salvation, brought about by the Holy Spirit, so that we may thus all abide in One Kingdom, begun now, forever.
For "God's kingdom come to us" happens in two ways: First, temporally through the Word and faith; second, eternally through revelation. Now we ask both of these things, that it may come to those who are not yet in it, and to us who have received it, by daily increase and henceforth in eternal life. All this is nothing else than this: Dear Father, we pray, first of all, give us your word, that the gospel may be preached righteously through the world. Secondly, that it may also be received through faith and work and live in us: that therefore your kingdom may come among us through the word and power of the Holy Spirit, and that the devil's kingdom may be put down so that he has no right or power over us until it is finally destroyed completely, and sin, death and hell are destroyed, so that we may live eternally in full righteousness and blessedness.
From this you see that we are not asking here for a trifle or temporal good, but for an eternal, abundant treasure and everything that God Himself is able to do, which is far too great for a human heart to consider asking for, if He had not commanded it Himself to ask. But because He is God, He also wants to have the honor of giving much more and more abundantly than anyone can understand, as an eternal, imperishable spring, which, the more it flows out and overflows, the more it gives of itself, and desires nothing higher from us than that we ask many and great things of Him; and is again angry if we do not confidently ask and demand.
190 For just as if the richest, most powerful emperor were to ask a poor beggar whatever he might desire, and were willing to give great imperial gifts, and the fool begged no more than a court soup, he would cheaply be called a rogue and a wicked man.
than he who, by imperial majesty's command, would make a mockery and ridicule and would not be worthy to come before his eyes. It is also a great dishonor and dishonor to God when we, to whom he offers and promises so many unspeakable goods, despise them or do not trust to receive them, and can hardly ask for a piece of bread. This is all the fault of shameful unbelief, which does not promise itself so much good to God as to feed its belly, let alone expect such eternal goods from God without doubt. Therefore we should strengthen ourselves against this and let this be the first thing we ask for, so that we will have everything else in abundance; as Christ teaches, Matth. 6, 33: "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you. For how should he make us lack and live in want of temporal things, because (while) he promises the eternal and imperishable?
The third request.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So far we have asked that his name be honored by us and that his kingdom come among us. In these two things is fully understood what concerns God's glory and our blessedness, that we may have God and all His goods for our own. But here is such great need that we hold fast to these things and do not let ourselves be torn from them. For as in a good government there must not only be those who build and govern well, but also those who defend, protect and hold fast over it; so also here. If we have asked for the greatest need, for the gospel, faith and the Holy Spirit to govern us and deliver us from the power of the devil, we must also ask that he will do his will. For it will be very strange, if we are to remain in this, that we will have to suffer a lot of offence and chastisement from all those who dare to hinder and resist the two foregoing things.
192. for no one believes how the devil opposes and blocks, except he who cannot suffer anyone to teach or to teach rightly.
He believes and grieves him beyond measure that he has to expose his lies and abominations, honored under the beautiful appearance of the divine name, and stand with all shame, be driven out of his heart and let such a rift happen in his kingdom. Therefore he rages and rages as an angry enemy with all his might and power, hanging on himself everything that is under him, for which he takes to his aid the world and our own flesh. For our flesh is rotten in itself and inclined to evil, even though we have accepted God's word and believe, but the world is evil and wicked; there he incites, blows, and prudes, so that he hinders us, drives us back, overthrows us, and brings us back under his control; this is all his will, mind, and thoughts, which he strives for day and night and does not celebrate for a moment, using all the arts, tricks, ways, and means that he can always devise.
193 Therefore, if we want to be Christians, we must certainly take care and dare to have the devil and all his angels and the world as our enemies, who cause us all misfortune and heartache. For where God's word is preached, accepted or believed and produces fruit, the dear holy cross shall not fail to appear. And let no man think that he shall have peace, but that he must lay up for himself what he hath on earth, goods, honor, house and home, wife and child, life and limb. This hurts our flesh and old Adam. For it means to hold on and suffer with patience how we are attacked, and to let go of what is taken from us. For this reason there is ever so great a need, as in all others, that we pray without ceasing: Dear Father, let your will be done, not the will of the devil and our enemies, nor all that your holy word wants to persecute and curb, or hinder your kingdom; and grant us that we may bear and overcome with patience all that is to be suffered over it, so that our poor flesh may not give way or fall away out of weakness or sloth.
194 Behold, in these three things we have in the most simple manner the need which concerns God Himself, but all for our sake: for what we ask is for us alone, even thus,
as said, that also in us happens, what otherwise must happen outside of us. For just as his name must be sanctified and his kingdom come without our asking, so his will must also be done and must prevail, even though the devil with all his followers almost rage, rage and rage against it, and dare to cut off the gospel altogether. But for our sake we must ask that his will also go unhindered among us against such raging, so that they can do nothing, and we remain firm against all violence and persecution and allow such will of God to please us.
Let such prayer now be our protection and defense, which shall beat back and put down all that the devil, [pope,] bishops, tyrants, and heretics are able to do against our gospel. Let them all be angry at once, and try their utmost, counseling and deciding how they will subdue and exterminate us, that their will and counsel may continue and stand; against this shall be one Christian or two with this single piece of our wall, against which they shall run and fail. We have the consolation and defiance that the devil's will and the will of all our enemies must perish and come to nothing, however proud, sure and mighty they know themselves to be; for if their will were not broken and hindered, his kingdom could not remain on earth, nor could his name be sanctified.
The fourth request.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Here we mean the poor basket of bread, the necessities of our body and temporal life, and it is a short, simple word, but it is also very broad. For when you call and ask for "daily bread," you are asking for everything that belongs to having and enjoying daily bread, and against everything that hinders it. Therefore, you must open your mind and spread it out, not only to the oven or the flour bin, but also to the wide field and the whole country, where daily bread and all kinds of food are grown and brought to us. For where God would not let it grow, bless it, and raise it up, He would not let it grow.
If we were to receive bread from the countryside, we would never have to take bread out of the oven or put it on the table.
197 And that we may understand it lately, this request includes everything that belongs to this whole life in the world, because for its sake alone we must have our daily bread. Now it is not only a part of life that our body has its food and blankets and other necessities, but also that we get along with the people with whom we live and deal in daily trade and commerce and all kinds of beings with peace and tranquility; summa, everything that concerns both, domestic and neighborly or civic being and government. For where these two are hindered, that they do not go as they should, there is also hindered the necessities of life, which finally cannot be maintained. And the most necessary thing is to pray for worldly authority and government, as God mostly provides us with our daily bread and all the goods of this life. For even though we have received an abundance of all goods from God, we cannot keep any of them, nor use them safely and cheerfully, if he does not give us a constantly peaceful government; for where there is strife, discord and war, our daily bread is already taken or ever increased.
For this reason, it would be appropriate to place a loaf of bread in the shield of every pious prince for a lion's or diamond's wreath, or to strike it on the coin for the mint, to remind both them and the subjects that we have protection and peace through their office, and that without them we cannot eat or keep our dear bread. Therefore, they are also worthy of all honor, that we give them what we should and can, as those through whom we enjoy everything we have with peace and tranquility, since otherwise we would not keep a penny; in addition, that we also pray for them, that God may give us the more blessings and good things through them.
So let it be briefly shown and described how far this prayer goes through all kinds of beings on earth. Now someone would like to make a long prayer out of it and tell in many words all the things that belong to it, namely, that we pray,
That God may give us food and drink, clothing, house and farm, and a healthy body, and that the grain and fruit of the fields may grow and prosper; that He may also help us to keep house at home, give and keep a pious wife, children, and servants, make our work, handicrafts, or whatever we have to do prosper and succeed, and provide us with faithful neighbors and good friends. etc. Item: Emperor, kings and all estates and especially our sovereigns, all rulers, overlords and officials, wisdom, strength and happiness to rule well and to conquer against Turks and all enemies; the subjects and common crowd obedience, peace and harmony to live among themselves; and again, that he will protect us from all kinds of harm to body and food, storms, hail, fire, water, poison, pestilence, death of livestock, war and bloodshed, evil time, harmful animals, evil people etc. All of which is good for the simple to imagine that such things and the like must be given by God and asked of us.
200 This prayer is especially directed against our greatest enemy, the devil. For this is all his purpose and desire, to take or hinder all that we have from God, and is not content with hindering and destroying the spiritual government, so that he deceives souls by his lies and brings them under his power; But he also prevents and hinders that there is no regiment, nor honest and peaceful being on earth; because he causes so much strife, murder, riots and war, item, thunderstorms, hail, to spoil the grain and cattle, to poison the air etc. Summa, he is sorry that someone has a morsel of bread from God and eats with peace, and if it were in his power and our prayer, next to God, were not answered, we would certainly not keep a stalk in the field, not a penny in the house, not even an hour of life, especially those who have God's word and would like to be Christians.
(201) Behold, thus God will show us how He takes care of all our needs and so faithfully provides for our temporal sustenance; and though He gives these things abundantly, yet He will not give them to us.
and sustains even the wicked and the wicked, but he wants us to ask for it, so that we may know that we receive it from his hand and feel his fatherly kindness toward us in it. For where he removes his hand, it cannot finally prosper nor be preserved, as is evident and felt daily. What plague is there in the world now with the evil coin alone, even with the daily burden and imposition in common trade, purchase and work of those who press the dear poor according to their will and deprive them of their daily bread? Which we must indeed suffer; but they may beware lest they lose the common prayer, and take heed lest this little piece in the Lord's Prayer go against them.
The fifth request.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
This part now applies to our poor and miserable life, which, although we have God's word, believe, do and suffer His will, and feed on God's gift and blessing, it still does not pass without sin that we still stumble daily and do too much; because we live in the world among people who are too sorry for us and give us cause for impatience, anger, revenge, etc., and have the devil behind us on all sides, who presses against us and fights against all the previous parts, so that it is not possible to stand firm in this constant struggle, We also have the devil behind us, who opposes us on all sides and fights against all the previous pieces, so that it is not possible to always stand firm in such a constant battle. Therefore, there is great need to pray and cry out: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses; not that he will not forgive sin even without and before our petition, for he has given us the gospel, wherein is all forgiveness, before we asked for it or ever sought it: but it is necessary that we recognize and accept such forgiveness. For since the flesh, in which we live daily, is of such a nature that it does not trust and believe in God, and is always stirred up with evil lusts and wiles, that we sin daily in words and works, in deeds and omissions, from which the conscience comes to discord, which is in fear of God's anger and wrath.
If a man fears the grace of God and thus lets the consolation and confidence of the gospel fall away, it is necessary without interruption to run here and get consolation to restore his conscience.
Now this is to serve that God may break our pride and keep us in humility. For He has reserved for him the advantage, if anyone would insist on his piety and despise others, that he look at himself and put this prayer before his eyes, he will find that he is just as pious as the others, and all of us must put down our feathers before God and be glad that we have come to forgiveness. And only do not think that anyone, as long as we live here, can be made not to need such forgiveness. Summa, where he does not forgive without ceasing, we are lost.
The meaning of this petition is that God does not want to look at our sin and reproach us for what we daily deserve, but to act with grace toward us and forgive us, as He has promised, and thus to give us a cheerful and undaunted conscience to stand before Him and to pray. For if the heart does not stand right with God and can draw such confidence, it will never be allowed to dare to pray. But such confidence and a cheerful heart can come from nowhere, because it knows that its sins are forgiven.
205 But there is a necessary and yet comforting addition: "As we forgive our debtors. He promised that we should be sure that everything is forgiven and given to us, but so far that we also forgive our neighbor. For as we daily owe much to God, and yet he forgives everything by grace, so we must also always forgive our neighbor who does us harm, violence and injustice, proves wickedness etc. If you do not forgive, do not think that God will forgive you. But if you forgive, you have the comfort and assurance that you will be forgiven in heaven, not because of your forgiveness; for he does it freely, out of pure grace, because he has promised it, as the gospel teaches; but that he may set it up for us as a strength and assurance, as a sign, along with forgiveness.
which agrees with this prayer, Luc. 6, 37: "Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Therefore Christ also repeats it soon after the Lord's Prayer and says, Matth. 6, 15: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" etc.
For this reason such a sign is attached to this prayer, that when we ask, we may remember the promise and thus think: Dear Father, therefore I come and ask that you forgive me; not that I may do or earn enough by works, but because you have promised it and attached the seal to it, that it should be as certain as if I had an absolution spoken by you yourself. For as much as baptism and the sacrament, outwardly set forth as a sign, accomplish, so much is this sign also able to strengthen our conscience and make it joyful, and is set forth before others for this very reason, that we may use and practice it every hour, as that which we always have with us.
The sixth request.
And lead us not into temptation.
We have now heard enough of the trouble and labor it takes to obtain and keep all that we ask, which nevertheless does not come without infirmity and stumbling; moreover, although we have received forgiveness and a good conscience and are completely absolved, it is still the case with life that one stands today and falls away tomorrow. Therefore, we must pray again, whether we are pious and have a good conscience toward God, that he will not let us fall back and give way to temptation. But temptation, or, as our Saxons have called it from time immemorial, temptation, is of three kinds: of the flesh, of the world, and of the devil. For we live in the flesh and carry the old Adam around our necks, who stirs and tempts us daily to fornication, sloth, eating and drinking, avarice and deceitfulness, to deceive our neighbor and translate, and summa, all kinds of evil lusts, which cling to us by nature, and are aroused to this by other people's company, examples, listening and
Seeing which often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.
After this is the world, which offends us with words and works, and drives us to anger and impatience; summa, there is nothing but hatred and envy, enmity, violence and injustice, unfaithfulness, revenge, cursing, reproaching, after-talking, pride with superfluous adornment, honor, fame and violence, where no one wants to be the least, but to sit on top and be seen before everyone. In addition, the devil comes, hounds and blows everywhere. But he is especially active in matters of conscience and spiritual matters, namely, that both God's word and works may be thrown to the winds and despised, that he may tear us away from faith, hope and love and bring us to disbelief, false presumption and hardening; or again, to despair, denial of God and blasphemy, and other countless horrible things. These are the ropes and nets, the real fiery arrows, which not flesh and blood but the devil shoots into the heart in the most poisonous way.
(209) These are great dangers and trials that every Christian must bear, even if he were alone; so that we may be driven to cry out and pray every hour, because we are in the shameful life, where we are harassed, chased and driven on every side, that God may not let us grow weary and tired and fall back into sin, shame and unbelief; for otherwise it is impossible to overcome even the slightest challenge.
Now this is not called entering into temptations, when he gives us strength and power to resist, but the temptation is not taken away nor removed. For no one can avoid temptation and irritation, because (as long as) we live in the flesh and have the devil around us, and nothing else comes of it, we must suffer temptation, even be stuck in it; but there we pray that we do not fall in and drown in it. Therefore it is much different to feel temptation and to consent to it or to say yes to it. We must all feel them, though not all in the same way, but some more and more severely: as, the youth especially of the flesh; according to which
grow up and become old, from the world. But the others, who deal with spiritual things, that is, the strong Christians, from the devil. But such feeling, because it is against our will and we would rather be rid of it, can harm no one. For where one did not feel it, it could not be called a challenge. But to grant it is to leave it in the bridle, not to oppose it or to ask for it.
For this reason, we Christians must be prepared and wait daily to be challenged without ceasing, so that no one may walk as safely and carelessly as if the devil were far from us, but rather wait for and deal him strokes at every turn. For though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and stand firm in faith, yet this very hour shall the devil drive such an arrow into my heart that I shall scarcely stand. For he is such an enemy that never ceases nor tires, that where one temptation ceases, others and new ones arise. Therefore, there is no counsel nor comfort, but to run here, that one should take hold of the Lord's Prayer and speak to God from the heart: Dear Father, you have called me to pray, do not let me fall back through temptation; then you will see that it must subside and finally be won. Otherwise, when you dare to help yourself with your thoughts and your own counsel, you will only make it worse and give more room to the devil. For he has a serpent's head, which, if he gains a gap into which he can slip, the whole body will go unstopped. But prayer can ward him off and drive him back.
The (seventh and) last request.
But deliver us from evil, amen.
In the Greek, the little piece reads thus: Deliver or keep us from evil or wickedness. And look now, as if he were speaking of the devil, as if he wanted to put it all together in one heap, so that the whole sum of all prayer goes against this our main enemy. For he is the one who hinders all that we ask for among us, God's name or glory, God's kingdom and will, daily bread, a cheerful good conscience etc. Therefore sleep
Finally, we put these things together and say: Dear Father, help us to get rid of all our misfortunes. But nevertheless, all the evil that may befall us in the devil's kingdom, poverty, disgrace, death, and in short, all the unholy misery and heartache that is innumerable on earth, is also included. For the devil, because he is not only a liar but also a killer (John 8:44), seeks our lives without ceasing and makes his effort wherever he can bring us to harm and damage our bodies. That is why he breaks some people's necks or brings them out of their senses, drowns some in water, and drives many to kill themselves, and in many other terrible cases. Therefore we have nothing to do on earth but to pray against this main enemy without ceasing. For if God did not preserve us, we would not be safe from him for an hour.
213 Therefore, you see once again how God wants to be asked for everything that afflicts us, even physically, so that no help is sought and waited for anywhere but with Him. But this is the last thing he has said. For if we are to be protected and delivered from all evil, his name must first be sanctified in us, his kingdom must be with us, and his will must be done. After that, he will finally protect us from sins and disgraces, and from everything that harms us and is harmful.
Thus God has presented to us in the shortest possible time all the needs that we may always have, so that we will never have any excuse to pray. But there lies the power that we also learn to say Amen to it, that is, not to doubt that it is certainly heard and will be done. For it is nothing else than the word of an undoubted faith, who does not pray for adventure, but knows that God does not lie to him, because he has promised to give it. Where there is no such faith, there can be no true prayer. Therefore it is a harmful delusion of those who pray in this way, that they cannot say yes to it from the heart and conclude for certain that God hears, but remain in doubt and say: How should I be so bold and boast that God hears my prayer? After all, I am a poor sinner etc.
This makes them look not to God's promise but to their own works and worthiness, so that they despise God and punish Him with lies; for which reason they receive nothing, as St. James, Cap. 1:6, says: "Let him who prays pray in faith, and doubt not; for he who doubts is like
a wave of the sea, driven and woven by the wind. Such a person only does not think that he will receive anything from God." Behold, so much is God concerned that we should be sure that we do not ask in vain, and in no way despise our prayer.