JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY
Your Kingdom Come
Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Today Jesus teaches us to make our first request in prayer. For the last several days we’ve learned to begin our prayer time without making a request. Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9 to first focus on the PERSON of God (He’s our Father); the PLACE of God (He’s in heaven); and the PURITY of God (His name is Holy). After considering and reflecting on these three things about God, Jesus instructs us to make a request of God: “Your kingdom come.” Our first request in prayer is to ask the Lord to bring His PLAN or His rule into this world.
Jesus is not instructing us to ask for happier homes or more money. We’re not pleading with God for healing or guidance. Our first request of God is not directly about our personal satisfaction or our personal circumstances. Instead, Jesus teaches us to ask the Lord to bring His kingdom into its fullness on this earth.
The Greek word used for Kingdom in the New Testament is Basileia. It literally means rule or reign. In other words, Jesus is telling us to pray for God’s reign or God’s rule to come in its fullness on this earth.
So what kind of kingdom is God’s kingdom? God’s kingdom is not like any earthly kingdom we’ve ever witnessed. Instead of being appointed king by some political process, the Lord is King by His own authority. He is Sovereign over all. He can never be dethroned. He is an eternal King. Before time began, now, and after time ends, the Lord is King. His kingdom is eternal because He is eternal.
God’s kingdom is not only eternal, it is perfect. It is perfect because, as we learned when studying the holiness of God, He is perfect in every way. So the Lord reigns over an eternal kingdom as its eternal King in perfection.
Psalm 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
“If the Lord reigns perfectly for all eternity,” you may be asking, “why is the world such a messed up place?” Originally, when God created Adam and Eve, as recorded in Genesis, both Adam and Eve lived in God’s kingdom. It was called the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect union with the Lord and with each other.
But Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God (Gen. 3:6). They chose to go against what God commanded. They sinned. God banished them from the garden. They were no longer eligible to remain in God’s kingdom because God never coexists with sin. Alienation between God and man began. It wasn’t long before evil behaviors flooded the earth. The dominion of darkness (a world of sin) began. Death entered God’s creation.
God, in His sovereign wisdom and love, was not content to leave us in our fallen state. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be punished for our sin. Jesus died on the cross at Calvary as the Lamb of God – a sacrifice for sin. Jesus took His Father’s wrath against sin upon Himself.
Remember, Jesus never sinned. He never disobeyed or broke relationship with His Father in any way. When Jesus died on the cross it was not for sins He committed. It was for the sins we committed. Jesus’ death saves us from the wrath of God.
Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Our debt was paid at Calvary. The Father, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has made a way for sinners to enter His kingdom. Everyone who receives Christ, as the Bible declares, will be saved from the penalty of sin because of the atoning sacrifice Jesus completed on the cross.
Jesus preached about how to enter the kingdom of God. Entry into His kingdom, He said, comes through repentance and faith. Repentance is to turn away from sin. Faith is to believe all that God has revealed.
Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
What is the good news? If we confess our sin to God and ask the Lord to forgive us, if we commit our lives to following Jesus, the Lord promises to save us from the dominion of darkness and bring us into His kingdom.
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Can you think of any earthly king who would sacrifice his one and only son in order to bring people into his kingdom? God’s kingdom is not like any of the corrupt kingdoms we see on earth. His kingdom is rooted in love and mercy and forgiveness and grace. Praise God!
To pray “your kingdom come”, then, is to pray for God’s PLAN: for Jesus to reign in every heart. The Bible declares that God takes no pleasure in being eternally separated from those who refuse to repent of their sin. The Lord says He wants all to be saved:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Jesus instructs us to pray “your kingdom come.” Why? Because this request absolutely reflects the heart of God. He wants all to come to repentance and be saved from His wrath against sin.
REVIEW: (circle all correct answers)
- When we pray “your kingdom come” we are asking God to:
a. Judge evil people b. Bring salvation to all people
- The “Kingdom of God” refers to the reign of God
TRUE FALSE
- Adam and Eve were banished from The Garden Of Eden because:
- They didn’t pay the rent
- They failed to take care of the place
- They disobeyed God’s direct command
- As you examine your heart, do you sincerely desire all to be saved?
EXERCISE:
In your prayer time today, pray for those you know who have not repented of their sin and invited Jesus into their lives. Ask the Lord to give them the understanding and strength to repent of their sin and receive Jesus. He will answer. His kingdom will come. Pray.
