“Pray then like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’” Matthew 6:9-13
Last Monday we began thinking through the Lord’s Prayer together. Most have taught that this prayer…like so many of the other prayers in the Bible… is a “a model prayer”, if you will, of God teaching His people how to pray and what to pray for. As we look at this prayer I hope we will go beyond the academic to how this prayer needs to be “our” prayer as well…a gift given to us by our heavenly Father especially on those days and in those occasions where it is hard or next to impossible to know what to say to God.
Today, we will consider what is referred to as the “second petition”, “Your kingdom come,”. This relates to the first petition “Hallowed be your name”, by emphasizing the means whereby glory is to be seen and promoted on earth. Christ teaches us first to pray that God’s holy name be made holy, then He directs us to pray for the means to make that apparent and the main way is the coming of God’s kingdom. We don’t often have a mind to think of things this way in our day to day but, remember Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) God’s kingdom must be first in our hearts. For God will not be honored correctly by us until we submit to His rule over us.
By praying this we begin and then afterwards we are reminded of the absolute rule over all of God. I Chronicles 29:11-12 like so many other places in Scripture remind us of this when David prays, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.” This is something we all need to take seriously since so many voices in our own heads and from other places tell us we are in control…we are the ones who make things happen in this life as we listen to our hearts. But this simple phrase speaks to our need to submit and bow before the sovereign rule of our God. And we WANT to be part of this kingdom.
Another aspect of this phrase we rarely think about is the fact that Jesus here is distinguishing between God’s kingdom from the kingdom of Satan (Matt. 12:25-28). The Westminster Shorter Catechism #102 weighs in here as well, “In the second petition, which is, “Thy kingdom come,” we pray, That Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and the kingdom of glory may be hastened.” By praying this we acknowledge publically and privately that there is only one true kingdom and that God controls over all things. His kingdom has been here, is here and will be here in its fullness on the Last Day when all His enemies have been finally dealt with and Christ has made all things new.
When we say “Your kingdom come”, we are essentially praying; “Father, let your gospel be preached and the power of the Spirit do His work. Let the Church be strengthened and advanced and the works of Satan destroyed in our hearts and in the world. Let your throne be central to our hearts. Let your Word minster to our hearts that we might minister to others and let your name be seen on us as we walk in your Way. Then, Lord, let the Day come quickly when Satan and all your enemies be thoroughly defeated, we, your people, sin no more and Christ’s rule will be evident to all.” Puritan William Perkins prayed this, “O Lord, let Thy Kingdom come to us who are strangers and pilgrims here on earth: prepare us for it and conduct us into it, that be yet outside of it; renew us by Thy Spirit that we may be subject to Thy will; confirm us who are in the way, that our souls after this life, and both soul and body in the Day of Judgment, may be fully glorified: yea, Lord, hasten this glorification to us and all Thine elect.”
I am not sure how much time any of us spend in considering God’s sovereign rule over us and all things. This simple line causes us or should cause us to reflect on this fact, which then should lead all of us to our knees in repentance because of the fact that we don’t consider Him and His absolute rule most of the time when we make decisions…which dishonors Him. Being kingdom citizen requires that we act a particular way…His way. In John 15:5, Jesus tells us –“Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit…and then in John 15:9-10-“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” But perhaps Jesus says it best in John 14:12 (as if the other 2 passages aren’t enough), “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do”.
Remember today…we are kingdom citizens ..everything we do reflects on God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The standard has been set, we have been given the Holy Spirit to keep that standard so let us pray “Your kingdom come,” and then live as if it could come today… for the glory of God above all!!!!
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
