The Doxology: “For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen”

St. John Chrysostom. Having made us more watchful by recalling the enemy to mind, and having cut off all our carelessness, He encourages us further by setting before us that King under whose authority we serve, and showing that He is more powerful than all. “For Yours is,” says the Savior, “the kingdom and the power and the glory.” Therefore, if it is His kingdom, we should fear no one, since no one opposes Him and no one shares authority with Him. When the Savior said, “Yours is the kingdom,” He shows that even our enemy is subject to God, although he appears still to resist, by God’s permission. He is among the servants, though condemned and rejected, and therefore he will not dare to attack any of the servants without first receiving authority from above. And what do I say—none of the servants? He did not even dare to attack the swine until the Savior Himself commanded it, nor the herds of sheep and oxen, until he received authority from above. Therefore, even if you are very weak, you ought to take courage, for you have such a King who can easily accomplish all glorious deeds even through you. This King not only frees you from the evils that threaten you, but can also make you glorious and renowned; as great as His power is, so too His glory is unspeakable—in a word, all that is His is boundless and without end. Do you see how the Savior strengthens and encourages the one who strives, from every side?

At the end of the prayer He expressed the kingdom and power and glory of God, saying: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” This, He says, is what I ask of You, because I know that You are King of all, You hold eternal dominion, You can do all that You will, and You possess glory that cannot be taken away.

Blessed Theophylact. Here He encourages us: for if our Father is a glorious and mighty King, then with firm faith we shall without doubt conquer the evil one and afterward be glorified, that is, when He renders to each according to their deeds.

Symeon of Thessalonica. We are weak. Yourself, O Father, deliver us from the evil one. “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” And who would dare to attack and insult those over whom You reign, You who are Master and Lord, ruling even over the Angels? And who will stand against Your power? No one. For You who created all things also preserve all things. Who could stand against Your glory or dare to diminish it, the glory that encompasses all the ends of the earth? For the heavens and the earth are full of it; and it was Yours before the existence of the heavens and the Angels. You alone are ever-existing and eternal, and Your glory—of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit—as well as Your kingdom and Your power, are forever. Amen. That is—truly, confessedly, and beyond all doubt, You are King, mighty and most glorious forever.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem. After completing the prayer you say, “Amen”; with the word “Amen,” which means “so be it,” sealing what has been spoken in the God-given prayer.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. “For Yours is the kingdom…” These words are the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, expressing hope and boldness before the Merciful Heavenly Father. You reign over all, and all are subject to Your authority. You are mightier than all, and no one can stand against You. Therefore glory will be to Your name, that we poor sinners shall receive what we ask of You, and with all our hearts shall give You thanks, and here and especially in the life to come shall glorify Your name with Your chosen ones. “He gives us boldness,” says St. John Chrysostom, “and lifts us up, by calling to mind the King to whom we are subject, and shows Him to be mightier than all, saying: ‘for Yours is the kingdom,’ and the rest.” Therefore, if it is His kingdom, we should fear no one, for no one can stand against Him or resist His authority. When He says, “Yours is the kingdom,” He shows that even our adversary is subject to Him, though he resists by God’s permission. For he too is among the servants, though rejected and provoking wrath, and he will not dare to attack anyone unless he first receives permission from above. And not only on any person, but even on swine, sheep, and oxen he cannot attack without God’s permission. Therefore, even if you are weak, you ought to take courage, for you have such a King who can accomplish all things easily, even through you.

The Orthodox Confession. This doxology has two parts. First, just as the invocation (that is, “Our Father…”) gives us assurance beforehand that we shall certainly receive what we ask, because we ask of our Father—so this doxology assures us that we shall receive what we prayed for, because the whole world belongs to our Father, and He reigns over it, and every creature is subject to Him. His is the power and the glory, which nothing can resist, neither in heaven nor on earth. Therefore He is able to do all that we have asked of Him with faith and hope; and not for any other reason, but for the sake of His eternal glory, as the words “glory forever” indicate. The second part of the doxology consists of one word: “Amen.” By this we beseech that all we have prayed for with faith and hope may be so, and we testify our assurance that we shall certainly receive all we prayed for according to the will of the Lord, as the Apostle says: “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14–15).

The Longer Catechism. This doxology is joined to the Lord’s Prayer: first, so that when we ask mercies of the heavenly Father we at the same time render Him fitting honor; and second, so that by contemplating His eternal kingdom, power, and glory we may be ever more firmly grounded in the hope that He will grant us what we ask, because this is within His power and pertains to His glory. The word “Amen,” meaning “truly” or “so be it,” is appended to the doxology to show that the prayer is offered with faith and without any doubt, as the Apostle James teaches, “let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (James 1:6).