Holy Baptism works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In the wide sense, the visible church includes all who are seen together around the sacred Word of God and the Sacraments. This, of course, includes hypocrites and evil persons who mingle with believers, including (it is sad to say) some pastors and leaders of the church organization.

In the narrow sense, the invisible church includes all who genuinely have faith in Christ, an aspect of church that cannot be seen. Fellowship around, in, and through the Word and Sacraments define unity in the faith.

Jesus gave you His prayer and in so doing gave you access to His Heavenly Father. His Heavenly Father is now your heavenly Father through faith in Him. As you battle the temptations of the Evil one, you have been equipped with the words of this warrior’s prayer. You can trust in the Word and promises of God as He assists you in thwarting the enemy.

God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor 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.

So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die.

The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.

God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit so that by His grace we believe His Holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.

God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven!