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Category 6, The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Questions 98 - 107 teaching and explaining the Lord's prayer.
- A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God,[200] for things agreeable to his will,[201] in the name of Christ,[202] with confession of our sins,[203] and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.[204]
- A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer;[205] but the special rule of direction (our model) is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.[206]
- A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teaches us to draw near to God with all holy reverence[207] and confidence,[208] as children to a father,[209] able and ready to help us;[210] and that we should pray with and for others.[211]
- A. In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be Your Name, we pray that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby He makes Himself known;[212] and that He would dispose all things to His own glory.[213]
- A. In the second petition, which is, Your Kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed;[214] and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced,[215] ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it;[216] and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.[217]
- A. In the third petition, which is, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we pray that God, by His grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things,[218] as the angels do in heaven.[219]
- A. In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessing with them.[220]
- A. In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins;[221] which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.[222]
- A. In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin,[223] or support and deliver us when we are tempted.[224]
- A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen, teaches us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only,[225] and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him;[226] and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.[227]
The catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers broken down into six categories.
- Category 1, questions 1 - 12:
- Category 2, questions 13 - 20:
- Category 3, questions 21 - 38:
- Category 4, questions 39 - 84:
- Category 5, questions 85 - 97:
- Category 6, questions 98 - 107
- Questions teaching and explaining the Lord's prayer.
- Questions teaching and explaining the Lord's prayer.
This organization mimics the earlier Heidelberg Catechism of the continental Reformed churches.
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