Many have grown up reciting the Lord’s Prayer in churches of all denominations. When we pray the Our Father we conclude by saying: “For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.” (Based on Matthew 6:13). Although these final lines are not included in the earliest manuscripts of Matthew 6:13, theologians such as Warren Wiersbe and RT Kendall both agree that the words are absolutely true and therefore an extraordinary conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer. Beyond the Lord’s Prayer, the phrase “forever and ever, Amen” is found as a great blessing to the eternal authority and power of God in many prayers throughout the Scriptures. Let’s take a deeper look.
Where is this phrase found in the Bible?
One of the first times we find “forever and ever, Amen” in the Scriptures is in the Old Testament Book of 1 Chronicles. King David has delivered the ark of God to his tent and all the people have gathered to worship and present their offerings to God. After everyone sang exuberant praises to God, they ended with: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and ever. All the people said: “Amen” (1 Chronicles 16:36, ICB).
In Psalm 10:16, David writes prophetically about Christ as the Messiah saying: “The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish at his hand.”
Again the psalmist writes in Psalm 45:6, “Your throne, O God, shall stand forever and ever.”
In the New Testament, we see this glorious blessing several times. In later manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew, it is included at the end of the Lord’s Prayer. Although it was not in the earliest manuscripts, it is quite possible that Jesus himself said these words.
Many of the epistles written by the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter also include this blessing at the end of a doxology of praise. For example, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever, amen” (Philippians 4:20). son, Paul wrote: “Therefore to the King forever, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
Similarly, the apostle Peter in his letter to believers wrote: “To him be power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11).
The Apostle John, in his final letter to the church, wrote of a vision where he saw all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! The four living creatures said: Amen” (Revelation 5:13-14).
In all of these passages of Scripture the phrase, “forever and ever, amen,” is added as a blessing of praise to the everlasting wonder of God’s glory and power. The reign of Christ is something that is honored throughout the Bible as something that will continue for ever and ever. It is not just that our Savior will be alive forever. No. It is much more! It is that Christ will rule and reign forever as King.
When we pray these words at the end of our prayers of praise, we should not pray them lightly. We must remember that Christ is the victor for all eternity. This knowledge should drive us to our knees and lead us deeper into a spirit of worship. When we use the phrase, “for ever and ever, Amen” in our worship, we come to an agreement with God that the rule and reign of Christ will be for all eternity. We give our hearts to his rule and reign and align our will with his.
The blessing also reminds us that as the eternal King, the Alpha and the Omega, God has a different perspective on time than ours. . We need this reminder from time to time. In our human weakness, it’s easy to get impatient when God doesn’t move as fast as we think he should. We forget that Christ holds eternity in his almighty hands and, as such, his timeline is very different from ours. As we grow impatient with his delays, he molds our character and sets the stage for the ways he wants to use us in his kingdom. In those moments, our faith is strengthened when we pray: “For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen.”
Should we end our prayers with Amen?
There have been countless debates about whether or not we should end our prayers with the word “Amen.” While we sometimes mindlessly add “Amen” to the end of our sentences, “the word literally means ‘so be it.’ However, it also has a deeper meaning. It means that what has been said is reliable, trustworthy and true.” Amen is then an affirmation of the truth that we are praying. It is particularly moving when we conclude our prayers of adoration and praise. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary, as a verb, it means “something that is faithful, trustworthy, or credible.” God himself is faithful, trustworthy, and true, so when we affirm his rule and kingship in our prayers, it is appropriate. that we end those prayers with a heartfelt “Amen.”
As believers, we follow in the footsteps of the church fathers who often ended their prayers with an “Amen.” However, we must be intentional and cognitive about how we are using the word. Using “Amen” lightly is not an act of worship but a meaningless ritual. Lack of attention in our prayers does not please God. Consideration and intentionality are what pleases God. When we intentionally come into his holy presence and honor him with words that affirm his eternity, his faithfulness, his power, his glory, his wisdom, and his love, then it is wonderful to end our prayers with “Forever and ever.” the centuries, Amen. “Those character traits of his will will continue throughout eternity. We affirm with our amen what is the absolute truth and with our hearts bowed before Him, we say: “O Lord, Jesus, I adore You because You rule and reign in absolute power and victory, for all eternity!”
Learning to be intentional with our worship should be part of every believer’s prayer journey. Worship and praise are not just for a Sunday morning worship service. It should be a regular part of every believer’s daily walk. In our worship, we can borrow the words of the biblical writers and echo their praise to King Jesus, who rules and reigns in absolute glory and power forever and ever.
Why not take a break from the news that constantly bombards our minds with violence, evil, wars and scathing language. Instead, take time to pray the Lord’s Prayer. Not as a ritual. Make it yours and pray the conclusion with confidence: “For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen!” Borrow the prayers of praise from the Apostles like Peter, John, and Paul and use their prayers of praise that end with forever and ever, Amen. You can be confident. Nothing can frustrate his reign! He is the victorious ruler for all eternity!
Sources:
RT Kendall, The Lord’s Prayer, (London, NW13BH; Hodder & Stoughton, 2010), 186