Our Father, Who from Heaven Above

Our Father, who from heaven above Has told us here to live in love

Author: Martin Luther; Translator: F. Samuel Janzow
Tune: VATER UNSER
Published in 4 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Our Father, throned in heav'n above,
you bid us all to live in love
as members of one family
and pray to you in unity—
teach us no thoughtless words to say,
but from our inmost hearts to pray.

2 [Insert the petition(s) under consideration.]

3 Amen, that is, so shall it be.
Make strong our faith in you
that we may never doubt you but believe
that what we ask we shall receive.
Thus in your name and at your word
we say, "Amen, O hear us, Lord!"

4 [The First Petition]
Your name be hallowed. Help us, Lord,
in purity to keep your Word,
that to the glory of your name
we walk before you free from blame.
Let no false doctrine us pervert;
all poor, deluded souls convert.

5 [The Second Petition]
Your kingdom come, we humbly pray,
that Christ may rule in us today
and that your Holy Spirit bring
still more to worship Christ as king.
Break Satan's pow'r, defeat his rage;
preserve your Church from age to age.

6 [The Third Petition]
Your gracious will on earth be done
just as in heav'n around your throne,
that patiently we may obey
throughout our lives all that you say.
Curb sinful flesh and ev'ry ill
that sets itself against your will.

7 [The Fourth Petition]
Give us today our daily bread,
and let us all be clothed and fed;
from hardship, war, and earthly strife,
from sickness, famine, spare our life.
Let selfishness, and worry cease
that we may live in godly peace.

8 [The Fifth Petition]
Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
that they may trouble us no more;
we, too, will gladly those forgive
who hurt us by the way they live.
Help us in our community
to serve each other willingly.

9 [The Sixth Petition]
Into temptation lead us not.
When evil foes against us plot
and vex our souls on ev'ry hand,
O give us strength that we may stand
firm in the faith, a mighty host,
through comfort of the Holy Ghost.

10 [The Seventh Petition]
From evil, Lord, deliver us;
the times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
and, when we yield our dying breath,
console us, grant us calm release,
and take our souls to you in peace.

Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #720

Author: Martin Luther

Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody. i. Hymn Books. 1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >

Translator: F. Samuel Janzow

F. Samuel Janzow was Professor of English at Concordia University Chicago from 1954 to 1980. NNM Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Our Father, who from heaven above Has told us here to live in love
Title: Our Father, Who from Heaven Above
Original Language: German
Author: Martin Luther
Translator: F. Samuel Janzow
Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: © 1980 Concordia Publishing House.

Tune

VATER UNSER

Martin Luther's versification of the Lord's Prayer was set to this tune in Valentin Schumann's hymnal, Geistliche Lieder (1539); the tune, whose composer remains unknown, had some earlier use. The tune name derives from Luther's German incipit: “Vater unser im Himmelreich….” Because VATER UNSE…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
TextPage Scan

Christian Worship #720

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #410

Text

Lutheran Service Book #766

Lutheran Worship #431

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