Shorter Catechism Qs. 103–104
Q. 103. What do we pray for in the third petition?
A. In the third petition, which is, “Thy 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, as the angels do in heaven.
Q. 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
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.
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The Shorter Catechism has (at least) two strikes against it. First of all, one hundred and seven questions do not strike us as very short! Secondly, the word “catechism” conjures up all sorts of bad feelings these days. Normal people don’t talk like this, do they?
However, notice that Shorter Catechism concludes with the Lord’s Prayer. It is significant. For it tells us the aim of the Shorter Catechism’s theological education is confident prayer life that draws its strength from God’s character and works. This is the secret that best and most mature believers have always known throughout history. Theology always serves the purpose of worship and communion with God, and where sound theology is lacking, our worship and devotion must inevitably become like a house built upon sand. Religious feelings can (and will) fade. And when the feelings go, in the absence of anything more solid, we will trudge along by the sheer force of the will. How exhausting that is! And, ultimately, how unreliable! For if we are to follow God, we need something stronger than our willy-nilly hearts!
Instead, sound doctrine is meant to give us strong foundation for our communion with God. The third petition to the Lord’s Prayer is “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Regardless of what theological labels we give ourselves, every Christian who prays is a Calvinist. He/she may talk all sorts of nonsense during the rest of the day, but when they bow before God in prayer with bent knees, they confess the might and power of God whose purposes cannot be thwarted by the world, the flesh, or the devil. He is God and his purposes will stand. He is sovereign.
Can you imagine what prayer will be like if God is not sovereign? If God cannot humble every obstacles and detractors to do his holy will, what exactly is the point of praying? Indeed, there is no point. God’s sovereignty is not just an argument of theologians. It is the hope of every Christian in need of God’s help. And when we pray the third petition, we remember who he is, and that he is able to do all that we ask and desire, and far more, according to his holy and wise purpose.
The fourth petition is, “Give us this day our daily bread.” With this our Lord Jesus teaches us that our Father cares deeply for our needs, and that we can come to him with all the confidence that God’s sovereignty produces in us. For if God is incapable of doing his purpose, the only conclusion we can draw during the hard seasons of our lives is that God cannot help us, that his goodness is being withheld from us. But if our God is truly sovereign, then even the lean seasons of our lives, when it seems as though God is not answering our prayers, will not sink us in despair. Even in the lean seasons, God’s goodness is not being withheld from us. He is even then working out his good purposes for us.
So ask God with every confidence! His answer will be better than we can imagine or think. He will lavish his goodness to us in every way.