This part of the prayer is a powerful expression of praise to our Father in heaven. Do we really believe this?
Are we truly confident that He does control the events and destiny of all history?
Do we see Him as the One who declares His Son to be King of kings and Lord of lords, before whom, one day, every human heart will bow in utter subjection?
Do I recognize Him as the ultimate power behind the scenes, who dictates and determines the whole course of history?
We are often so preoccupied with our petitions to our Father that we completely forget to praise Him for who He is and what He has done. If we are to have a balanced, wholesome relationship with God, it is imperative that we not only come to Him freely with our petitions but also reverently with our praise and gratitude.
The interrelationship between me and my heavenly Father finds a parallel in the interaction between a human parent and a child. When a child comes softly and sincerely to a parent, with endearing expressions of gratitude and appreciation for what the parent is or has done, it unlocks that parent’s heart in a wondrous way.
There are some who attempt to live their Christian lives out of a sense of duty to God. It cannot be done. It becomes a dreadful burden and bondage. There are others who endeavour to maintain their relationship with God by ritual and routine. This degenerates to awful boredom. Still, others hope to live in spiritual communion with God by indulging in emotional, ecstatic experiences. These are temporary. A few struggles resolutely to live with great self-discipline and inner determination of spirit. They grow weary in their well-doing. But for the soul who understands something of the wondrous goodness of his Father in heaven, who feels his heart warmed with genuine gratitude for the generosity of God, who feels appreciation and love welling up within because of his Father’s love, such a soul has found the secret to a serene and enduring relationship with his God.
An excerpt from A Layman Looks at the Lord’s Prayer by W. Phillip Keller
Grow In God's Grace 