The Kingdom of God is so important that when Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He chose to pray about it first in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer.
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 forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13
Jesus could have asked about many different things, but He chose to ask for the Kingdom of God first. Jesus began by honoring God’s name, and then he asked for the Kingdom of God to come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (verse 10).
Jesus’ first request reveals His priority. He desired to see the Kingdom of God to be manifested on earth. When you think about your most frequent prayers, what do you pray about first? I find that my prayers can quickly turn into a request for myself, a loved one, or someone in need. However, Jesus’ prayer was about His kingdom coming to the earth.
In the above prayer, Jesus connected the will of God to the kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God will come to earth when the will of God is done. Jesus was the forerunner in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth and doing His will. He chose to live His life perfectly and become obedient to the cross. He set an example for all believers on how to pull heaven to earth and live a life that represents a different Kingdom. His resolve was never dependent on His popularity. He chose to stand on truth and die for for truth. He continued to love those who hated Him and forgave them on the cross. We are citizens of this awesome Kingdom that He established!
Isn’t it amazing that our obedience doesn’t just benefit us!? Just as Jesus’ obedience to God opened the door for us to become citizens of this Kingdom, our obedience does the same thing for others. When we walk in obedience to God, it reveals the Kingdom of God and makes it become visible to those who are hopeless and helpless in life! We are the conduits who stand between heaven and earth and allow the Kingdom of God and the desire of God to be manifested on the earth.
Are you ready for the challenge? You could be the answer to someone’s prayer! Are you willing to pray as Jesus prayed and be part of the answer to bring the Kingdom of God and the will of God on the earth? Can we be the ones who change the atmosphere because we are operating under a different Kingdom!?
