1. Begin with prayer asking the HS to reveal to your heart his love and care for you and ask him to teach you today as you look at his word.
2. Read Matthew 6:9-13 (3 times slowly)
3. Use a journal to reflect on theses truths:
Today we are going to focus on vs 10, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
In many ways this is a prayer of submission, it is a kingdom minded prayer. In Matthew 6 God says “Where your treasure is that is where your heart will be also” . We discussed in the first devotional that prayer is a realignment of our hearts with God’s heart. As you read this section and the call for His kingdom to come to bear on earth, write down a few thoughts on where you think this section or petition is calling you to realigning in your heart, both prior to and within this current pandemic?
This prayer is really a recognition that there is something greater coming, that currently we live in this tension between the establishment of God’s kingdom and the consummation of God’s kingdom. A way that we explain that is we live in the already but not yet reality.
The good news of the gospel is that through Jesus, our sins are already forgiven, yet because of the "not yet" we still struggle with the power of sin in our lives, and this world is still consumed with the overarching effects of sin. Through Jesus, salvation is already guaranteed and we’re promised complete healing and restoration when Christ comes again, but because of the "not yet" our bodies still get sick and we still struggle with doubts and fears and this world will continue to decay.
Already the powers of evil and darkness have been defeated by Jesus through his death and resurrection, yet because of the "not yet" there’s still evil and darkness in our world. So when we pray, "your kingdom come" we’re not asking for the "already" part, but we’re looking forward to the "not yet" part.
When we pray for God kingdom to come we are affirming our confidence in the future culmination of Gods plan. When we pray “your kingdom come” it is a prayer that reminds our hearts that there is a day coming when he will restore everything back to the way it was before it was broken by the sins of humanity. It’s to the "not yet" part of God’s kingdom reign that the book of Revelation looks forward to, a time when the governments of this world give way to the rule and reign of God and of Jesus, Jesus callas all his children to himself and he remakes the world as a new perfect home without sickness and death that we get to enjoy for all eternity.
This prayer is not just a future prayer it also has a present aspect because we know that the gospel is not just a future reality it is the power for daily life. There is call here for our desperate need of Jesus to rescue us from the daily penalty and effects of our sin and brokenness. In this prayer there is a call for us to daily, even moment by moment ask God to bring his kingdom to bear in all areas of our life and realign our hearts and our thoughts with His thoughts on the subject, whatever the subject maybe. This remaking of us also is part of Gods plan to remake the culture around us.
If you look at when God sent his son, Jesus, to Earth to take on human form. Jesus lived within the culture. He worked, ate and interacted among the people; He lived in such a way that those around him could see and experience what God was truly like. Jesus came so that all people, places and things could be restored to a right relationship with God.
In the same way, He has now sent us, we are now missionaries sent into our culture to restore all things to God through Jesus. Restoration is not something we do, it is who we now are, that the power of the gospel now lives in you. We are people of restoration now.
Currently our world and city is in a massive amounts of fear around the future and many are looking for any ray of hope they can find, as the church we have a great opportunity to lean into the this crisis and provide true hope. Take a few mins to pray and ask God how and who He is calling you to walk alongside during this time? Write down the people and brainstorm ways to care for them now and in the future.
I know the reality is that many of us have fear right now as well I want to remind you who we are talking to when we pray this prayer. We are praying to the God of the universe, the creator the one who spoke things into existence, the one who conquered death, we talking to the author and finisher of our faith, the alpha and omega, the most powerful, the most loving, the most gracious being that has ever and ever will exist. The one who is never surprised with the broken things of this world and who has the power too and will restore this world one day.
When we pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done" we’re saying, "God, I trust how you choose to answer all my request." We’re saying, "God, this is what I want, what I think I need for this situation, but I trust you and I believe you see this situation far more clearly than I do.” Work in our city to bring restoration, work in my life to cause me to live that kingdom reality now.
This prayer of thy kingdom come is not for just a few followers of Jesus to pray, it is a gospel centered prayer for all his children to pray. It is a prayer that realigns our hearts with our gospel purpose and His heart for the world. We get to participate in His kingdoms restoration plan. This prayer is a reminder that it is His plan not ours and that not only is it His plan but that He is the one who is going to accomplish it.
That is what we get to do as His kids. Take some time right now to pray this prayer for “His kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven”