A few words may be said in
explanation of this prayer.
It begins with a recognition of the common Fatherhood of GOD. It is
only as members of His Family that we can approach Him: He is in no
sense our personal or private GOD, but the common Father of us all.
And our Father is "in heaven"--that is, supreme, eternal, the Lord and
Ruler of all things. His Name is holy, and to be hallowed: it is in
reverence and deepest worship that we bow before Him. He is King, and
we pray that His Kingship may be realized, in earth as it is in
heaven: and that His will may be done--that is the supreme desire of
our hearts, and the highest object of our petitions.
And therefore we are vowed to His service: and because we are sure
that He will supply whatever we really need to that end, we pray in
confidence for daily needs both spiritual and bodily--"Give us this
day our daily bread." And remembering that we are unprofitable and
faithless and disloyal servants we ask forgiveness for our sins, well
knowing that we can only be forgiven as we ourselves are ready to
forgive.
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