4. God sincerely desires us to be saved, to obtain eternal life. But our Lord says: _"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."_ Matt. 24,13. We cannot endure by our own strength. _"Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation."_ 1 Pet. 1,5. Therefore we pray our dear Father to _"strengthen and preserve us steadfast in His Word and faith unto our end."_ We ask Him for Christ's sake to grant us strength to remain steadfast in His _Word,_ to continue to hear, read, and use it. By means of the Gospel the Holy Spirit will _preserve our faith_ in our Lord and Savior; through faith He will give us strength gladly to do His will and to live according to His commandments. In this way God will preserve us _unto our end,_ to our dying hour, and thus His gracious and good will is done. 5. God, our dear Father, _directs and guides our whole life_ according to this will of His to lead us to salvation. For this purpose our Father sometimes will permit _sufferings and troubles_ to come over us. In such times especially we should pray: _"Thy will be done,"_ my Father! Give me strength to remain steadfast and faithful in all sufferings and cheerfully to submit to your gracious will. Even our Lord Jesus Christ prayed in the hour of His deep agony: _"Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."_ Matt. 26,39. 6. The _first three petitions_ belong together. They are connected by the words _"on earth as it is in heaven."_ We pray that our Father's name may be hallowed on earth as it is hallowed in heaven, that His kingdom may come to us on earth as it is in heaven, and that His gracious will may be done among us on earth as it is done in heaven. _We ask our heavenly Father for His heavenly gifts._ These gifts we most urgently need, and therefore our Lord teaches us to pray for them first of all. REMEMBER:-- 1. _We pray in this petition: My dear heavenly Father, break and hinder every evil will of my enemies, the devil, the world, and my own flesh, that I may hallow Thy name and Thy kingdom may come to me._ 2. _My dear heavenly Father, strengthen and preserve me in Thy Word and in true faith unto my end, to my dying hour, that Thy gracious and good will may be done._ MEMORIZE:-- _God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth._ 1 Tim. 2,4. _Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation._ 1 Pet. 1,5. _He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ._ Phil. 1,6. QUESTIONS.