“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)
When the Lord gave his disciples this prayer model, he was issuing the most powerful weapon in the arsenal. When a disciple prays that God’s kingdom become a reality in his/her life and the will of God be done here as it is done in heaven, that disciple is praying over his/her own attitudes, actions, and ambitions. To pray for God’s kingdom to become a reality in the earth as it is in heaven is to cry for help with one’s personal commitment and submission to the will of God on the earth. When a disciple of Jesus Christ prays such a prayer it is not some fatalistic acceptance of que sera, sera. No, indeed! What we have in this prayer is the triumphant, living faith of one who trusts in the here-and-now victory of the Almighty God who holds ultimate power in his hands.
Now that is the question. Do we have a living faith that is triumphant over the pessimism of this foolish generation? Do we truly want the kingdom of God and his will to be a reality in our present lives in this world?
It is true that the God of the kingdom is holy, worthy to be praised, and eternally supreme. Many think of him only in terms of his supremacy or as the Creator or as the ruler of the whole earth. Yet, Jesus taught us that he wants an intimate relationship with us. We are to relate to him as our Father. The disciple’s prayer is to affirm the kingdom and will of a good and loving Father whose ruling authority is perfect. His will is always best. His children are always the happiest.
“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
Dear Father, thank you for your kingdom and your will that governs it. Empower us with submission and obedience that we might truly see the kingdom be a reality in our lives and your will obeyed on this earth as it is in heaven. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today in the kingdom of God,