A Worship Service based on the Lord’s Prayer

In the past couple of decades (which is young in term of church music), there has been some really nice music written on the Lord’s Prayer.  I was thinking that it would make a very nice themed service to dwell on the Lord’s Prayer.  Listed below are a few song suggestions and a couple of other resources.

 

“Let Us Pray” – Steven Curtis Chapman 

Image via Wikipedia

“Hallowed Father” – Jeremy Riddle 

“As it is in Heaven” – Matt Maher 

“Our Father in Heaven” – Brian Doerksen

 

I’m not going to include all the song lyrics because this post would be too long, but you can watch and hear some of these pieces below.  I will include Matt Maher’s lyrics because I am particularly fond of them.

 

Let Us Pray:

 

As it is in Heaven:

 

Michael W. Smith also put a version of the Lord’s Prayer to music which would work equally as well.

 

As it is in Heaven

Matt Maher

 

Our Father, who art in Heaven; Hallowed be thy name.

Come and let Your glory, Come and let Your glory fall.

 

Our Father, who art in Heaven; The rocks cry out Your fame.

Come and let Your glory, Come and let Your glory fall.

 

I will sing, sing a new song; I will sing, sing a new song,

I will sing, sing a new song to the Lord.

 

Let your kingdom come; Let your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven; Every eye proclaim,

The mercy of Your name; On earth as it is in heaven.

 

God give us new every morning; Mercy his daily bread.

In the name of Jesus; In the name of Jesus we pray.

 

And lead us, not to temptation; But deliver us with Your hand.

In the name of Jesus; In the name of Jesus we pray; Father we pray!

 

I will sing, sing a new song; I will sing, sing a new song

I will sing, sing a new song to the Lord.

 

Let your kingdom come; Let your will be done; On earth as it is in heaven.

Every eye proclaim, The mercy of Your name, On earth as it is in heaven.

 

For the kingdom is yours; And the power is yours; And the glory forever Amen.

For the kingdom is yours; And the power is yours; And the glory forever Amen.

For the kingdom is yours

 

”As it is in Heaven”, 2005 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), spiritandsong.com (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Alletrop Music (Admin. by Music Services), by Matt Maher and Ed Cash, CCLI # 4669748

 

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Responsive Version of the Lord’s Prayer (from Pastor Rick Tuttle’s “Seelsorger” file server – this site requires membership; which is free but is limited to those in either the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) or denominations in fellowship with the WELS such as the ELS.

 

Responsive lord’s prayer

M:     O God, through Jesus’ sacrifice you have restored us as your forgiven children.  In his name we pray:

C:     Our Father, who art in heaven,

M:     Help us to know you through your inspired Word and to live by it as children in your family.

C:     Hallowed be thy name.

M:     Give us your Holy Spirit to rule in our hearts, and use us to extend your kingdom of grace to others.

C:     Thy kingdom come.

M:     Make us zealous to carry out you will as gladly as the angels do, and to conform our will to yours.

C:     Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

M:     Merciful Lord, since you are the provider of all things necessary for our bodies; fill us with trust.

C:     Give us this day our daily bread.

M:     Continue to erase our sins, and help us gladly to forgive and to do good to those who wrong us.

C:     And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

M:     We know the devil seeks to destroy our souls and the world lures us to ruin by appealing to the desires of our flesh.  Guard us from the poison of misbelief and the trap of unrepented sin.

C:     And lead us not into temptation.

M:     Keep safe our bodies and souls, our property and honor, and above all send the Holy Spirit to preserve our faith in Christ which leads to life everlasting.

C:     But deliver us from evil.

M:     For all these petitions we look to you as King of Kings and Lord of your church.

C:     For thine is the kingdom,

M:     You alone hold the power to grant our requests.

C:     and the power,

M:     We worship you from whom all blessings flow.

C:     and the glory forever and ever.

M:     Relying on Jesus, who cancelled our sins and made us acceptable in your sight, we pray with confidence:

C:     Amen. It shall be so.

 

 

A Paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer

by Sarah Dylan Breuer

 

Loving Creator

we honor you,

and we honor all that you have made.

Renew the whole world

in the image of your love.

Give us what we need for today,

and a hunger to see the whole world fed.

Strengthen us for what lies ahead;

heal us from the hurts of the past;

give us courage to follow your call in this moment.

For your love is the only power,

the only home, the only honor we need,

in this world and in the world to come.

Amen.

 

Source: www.theworshipwell.org/pdf/Lords_Prayer_Paraphrase.pdf

 

From Luther’s Small Catechism (Adapted for Worship Recitation):

 

Congregation:            Our Father in heaven

 

Pastor:  With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father and that we are his true children, so that we may pray to him as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father.

 

Congregation:            Hallowed be your name

 

Pastor:  God’s name is certainly holy by itself, but we pray in this petition that we too may keep it holy.

 

Lay Reader:      God’s name is kept holy when his Word is taught in its truth and purity, and we as children of God lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But whoever teaches and lives contrary to God’s Word dishonors God’s name among us. Keep us from doing this, dear Father in heaven!

 

Congregation:            Your kingdom come.

 

Pastor:  God’s kingdom certainly comes by itself even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us.

 

Lay Reader:      God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and lead a godly life now on earth and forever in heaven.

 

 

Congregation:            Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

 

Pastor:  God’s good and gracious will certainly is done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.

 

Lay Reader:      God’s will is done when he breaks and defeats every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, which try to prevent us from keeping God’s name holy and letting his kingdom come. And God’s will is done when he strengthens and keeps us firm in his Word and in the faith as long as we live. This is his good and gracious will.

 

Congregation:            Give us today our daily bread.

 

Pastor:  God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

 

Lay Reader:      Daily bread includes everything that we need for our bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, land and cattle, money and goods, a godly spouse, godly children, godly workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace and order, health, a good name, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

 

Congregation:            Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against US.

 

Pastor:  We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins or because of them deny our prayers; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we ask, neither have we deserved them, but we ask that he would give them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.

 

Lay Reader:      So we too will forgive from the heart and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

 

Congregation:            Lead us not into temptation.

 

Pastor:  God surely tempts no one to sin, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins; and though we are tempted by them, we pray that we may overcome and win the victory.

 

Congregation:            But deliver us from evil.

 

Pastor:  In conclusion we pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil that threatens body and soul, property and reputation, and finally when our last hour comes, grant us a blessed end and graciously take us from this world of sorrow to himself in heaven.

 

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And last but not least, if you have some Spanish-speaking members, perhaps you can read through the prayer responsively from English-to-Spanish.  Here’s the Spanish translation:

 

Padre nuestro,

Que estás en los cielos,

Santificado sea tu nombre,

Vénganos tu reino,

Hágase tu voluntad, así en la tierra como en el cielo.

El pan nuestro de cada día, dánoslo hoy

Y perdona nuestros deudas

Así como nosotros perdonamos a nuestros deudores.

Porque tuyo es el reino, el poder y la gloria,

Por los siglos de los siglos,

 

Amén.