When You Pray: Week 3

The word “kingdom” occurs 162 times in the New Testament. All kingdoms have a king, and all kings have a will. The Kingdom of God is uniquely “here now, and not yet”. (Matthew 4:17; 13:2) The New Testament doesn’t make sense until we understand that the kingdom is coming and the kingdom has come; it is already and not yet; and it is present and future.

When Jesus asks us to pray, “Your kingdom come”, he is asking us to pray that His divine purposes would be fulfilled.

The “Already Kingdom” is demonstrated through Jesus’ miracles of healing, His ability to put everyone in the same place of honor in His new world order, and His ability to bring people together from different ideologies to unite under His banner of love.

The “Not Yet Kingdom” is spoken of by Jesus in Luke 22:18 when He says, “I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” His return is called the apocalypse, which means “unveiling”. It is referred to as pulling back a curtain, or “breaking through from hiddenness.” At the end of this age, God will make visible to all people what is true right now: that the crucified carpenter is on the throne of the universe, that the crucified one is now King over all kings and queens, even if those kings and queens do not acknowledge the fact or obey Him (Phil 2:9; Eph 1:20-23; Heb 1:3; Rev 16).

How can we participate in the Kingdom?

1. We must be born again. John 3:3; Col 1:14
2. Seek His Kingdom. Matthew 6:33; John 18:36; Rom 14:17

How does the spiritual become physical?

1. Your Kingdom come is primarily an eschatological prayer – we are asking Him to bring the consummation of Jesus’ return, which pulls us out of the temporary and helps us focus on the big picture.
2. Your Kingdom come is also a prayer for right now – we are asking the gospel to bear fruit in our land, our neighborhoods, and in our homes.

Every day we must choose to surrender to our Father in heaven. He is worthy of our surrender. He is a good King. This world is broken, and it needs Jesus to come. Earthly rulers come and go, but Jesus will always be on His throne. All other rulers will bow their knee to Him!

A prayer to pray this week:

Father, manifest the already-ness of your rule in my life. Break through any darkness; King Jesus, illuminate every corner of my life with your healing light. Father, break through any resistance in my soul; King Jesus, humble me, forgive me, cleanse me. Father, break the bondage that enslaves me; King Jesus, free me, restore me. Father in heaven, break through the patterns of my life that support or perpetuate injustice; King Jesus, give me courage to follow you come what may.

Father in heaven, manifest the already-ness of your rule through my life; I am yours, I make myself available to you for your purposes in the world. King Jesus, through me, make yourself real in my part of the world; make me an instrument of your peace.

Father in heaven, make us, your church, a clear and engaging sign that the future is breaking into the present. Grant, O God, that when the city looks at us, it sees you and your new world order. King Jesus, do through us what you did when you walked the earth in visible form. Through us heal the sick, free the captives, reconcile enemies, raise the dead to newness of life.