Bringing His Kingdom

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Darrell W. Johnson, in his book Fifty Seven Words that Change the World, says this section of the Lord's Prayer, "is one of, if not the most radical things a human being can do."

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray this, they were starving for revolution. Rome ruled and did so with deadly force. The spiritual climate of the day was lukewarm. People felt the very real need for political change, as well as religious freedom and revival. Sounds much like the world we live in now, doesn't it? On the surface, these words sound like a prayer for temporal, or earthly, relief. In some ways, that's true.

To pray God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven is to pray that His perfect will be done. We often don't realize all that encompasses. And we fail to recognize the upheaval that must take place to bring His will and His kingdom on earth - both in our personal lives and in world events. Think about the change you must make in your daily life to give in completely and live God's perfect will.

A little uncomfortable? Radical? Does it take a truckload of trust to obey God's perfect will? It does for me.

When we pray for His kingdom to come, we must recognize that it is partially here in the form of believers in Christ. The Holy Spirit ushers in His kingdom, and when we accept the Holy Spirit into our lives WE usher in the kingdom. Jesus' return is still to come, so we pray, "Your kingdom come." We're asking Jesus to come back! Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

We'll be finishing up the Lord's Prayer in the next few posts. Don't forget this month's challenge to pray daily, and don't forget to use your prayer journal! We'll talk about that in a few days, too.

Lord Jesus, we pray for your kingdom to be evident in us as we interact with the world. We ask that You would shine through us so everyone would know Your love and grace. Please help us live Your will, Father God. On earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' holy Name we pray, Amen.

Blessings on you today,
Shelley

Meaningless Repetitions and Many Words

Hi all.  When Shelley and I decided to blog on The Lord's Prayer this month we were not prepared for the depth of instruction contained in this well-known simple reflection we repeat weekly, even daily in our religious practices.   Verses 7 and 8 of Matthew 6 give us direction on the content of our prayers.   

                

Matthew 6: 7 - 8
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.  So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 

What was Christ referring to with the term "meaningless repetitions"?  And wouldn't many words in our prayers be a good thing??   And, if our Father knows what we need before we ask Him, why should we ask?  These are high questions we are pondering.  

In reviewing the scripture around the Lord’s Prayer, I concur with Shelley that the Lord is clearly instructing believers on the motives of their hearts and the practice of their righteousness in a community.  It is evident that there is to be a clear distinction between those who are living a life of faith with God and those who are practicing their religion to be seen by men.  Christ very clearly states that when the practice of our religion is to be seen by others then we have our reward in full.  In other words, when our prayers and deeds are for any other reason than to live a relationship of faith with God, then there is no blessing or reward that will come to us other than being seen by others. 

One prayer of Christ that really struck me was the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.  This was an emotional and trying time for our Lord and he simply prayed the struggle of his heart.  Matthew 26 and Mark 14 record virtually the same words; “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will but as You will.” Christ offered very simple words to convey his longing  to the Father before heading to the cross to die for our sins. 

We do not need many repetitious words before our God to express the longings of our heart.  He knows our needs.  The expression of our needs in prayer acknowledges our reliance upon Him as we walk our life of faith.     “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”   Go to Him and offer the longing of your life, then live in the faith that you have been heard and that God will respond. 

Many blessings on your life,
Carol