It’s the most well-known Christian prayer in the world, but do we truly understand its power and meaning?
We regularly pray it. We learned it while we were still learning to speak. It’s one of the most important prayers ever given to the human family.
And yet, many of us take it for granted, missing its depth and breadth. But this is the Lord’s Prayer. It’s called by such a distinguished name because the Lord Jesus gave it to us after his apostles asked him how to pray.
He taught them then with this prayer, and it teaches us still today.
Thy Kingdom Come: Living the Lord's Prayer in Everyday Life is about diving into the familiar and yet unknown world of the Lord’s Prayer.
Within its pages you’ll discover:
- How this prayer is a list of seven distinct petitions we ask of God,Why we “dare” to call God our Father,
- How fatherhood is not a human convention imposed on God but a divine name and identity,
- Why the beauty of heaven is a model for us on earth,
- How God’s name, his kingdom, and his will are interconnected,
- Why we pray “this day” for our “daily” bread,
- Why “as we” are the most overlooked words of the prayer,
- How God seeks to protect and deliver us from the evil one.
These and many other spiritual insights are given through the seven tenets of the Lord’s Prayer. And Thy Kingdom Come is your helpful guide and practical resource to explore them all!
Father Jeffrey Kirby is the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land, South Carolina. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College. He has authored several books, including Be Not Troubled: A 6-Day Personal Retreat with Father Jean-Pierre De Caussade, Lord, Teach Us to Pray, and Kingdom of Happiness: Living the Beatitudes in Everyday Life.
Father Kirby holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Holy Cross University in Rome, a Master of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
In 2016, Father Kirby was recognized for his service to local communities and young adults throughout South Carolina by then- Governor Nikki Haley with the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.
Working with St. Benedict Press and Catholic Scripture Study International, Father Kirby was the Host of the award-winning program Doors of Mercy and was one of the co- instructors of the programs, Luke: The Gospel of Mercy and Jesus Revealed. He is the Host of the program Kingdom of Happiness.
Father Kirby is a Senior Contributor for the news site Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse. For more information on Father Kirby, please visit frkirby.com, or follow him on Twitter @fatherkirby.