Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:10 ‘your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ God’s kingdom is not about earthly territory but about seeing God’s rule and power in action in all areas of society and the world.
God’s kingdom has already come in the lives of all who recognise Christ as King. But God’s kingdom is yet to come when His rule will be established on earth as it is in heaven and all evil will be banished.
When we pray this part of the Lord’s prayer, we are petitioning God to advance His kingdom, inviting His glory, majesty, and purposes to be seen here on earth as they are currently seen in Heaven. God wants us not just to pray, but to pray big, bold prayers for His kingdom to come, as He is well able to answer them! We see 4 different areas where this applies.
1. Pray for God’s kingdom to come in you and your family (Luke 22:42; Acts 21:14; Genesis 17:7)
2. Pray for God’s kingdom to come in the church (Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:27; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 2 Timothy 4:2; Colossians 4:2; John 4:24; Romans 1:16; Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 9:37-38; John 17:11)
3. Pray for God’s kingdom to come in your network of friends and circles of influence (Matthew 5:14; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
4. Pray for God’s kingdom to come in each nation (1 Timothy 2:1-2; Psalm 122:6)
Apply
When you pray ‘Your will be done’ it means that you accept the will of God over and above your own. Our model for this prayer is Jesus on His journey to the crucifixion (Luke 22:42). To pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in your own life and in your family means that we surrender our rights, we surrender our will. We cry out for God to do what He wants. Our plans, desires, will and wishes no longer take first place and we are effectively praying, “Lord if Your will and my will are not in agreement, then I renounce my will and ask that Your will be done.” Often we believe the lie that to do the will of God will mean some sort of missing out and suffering. But God’s will is always best both for us and others (Acts 21:14). To see the awesome purposes of God come to pass in our lives, to see Him answer our prayers, we have to be in a place of submission where God’s will always prevails over our own. Our prayers should focus on seeing God work out His purposes in our lives and families so that honour and glory goes to Him. We are to pray for the members of our family, especially for those who are not yet Christians. God loves families; He wants whole families to be united, to be blessed. God wants to heal hurts in families and bring his love, joy and peace into every home. His plan is to bless every generation of family life. God made promises of family blessing to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:7). God can do great things when families serve the Lord together. Just as Joshua took his stand, so you can take a prayerful stand for your family (Joshua 24:15). So pray that the kingdom of God comes in your family, and that all are saved and serve Him together.
By praying for God’s kingdom to come in the church, we are not talking about buildings but the community of all believers locally and globally. We are to pray for all people in the church: the leaders, fellow members, those in your life group. We should pray for the advance of the gospel through churches across the nation. And we pray that the church is not hindered in doing God’s will here on earth but does all that God desires. We can pray in line with different Bible verses which show us God’s will for His church:
- Pray for the church to advance ( Matthew 16:18)
- Pray for the church to love God and love others (Luke 10:27)
- Pray for church leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
- Pray for the church to boldly teach the Word of God (2 Timothy 4:2)
- Pray that the church would be devoted to prayer ( Colossians 4:2)
- Pray the church worships in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)
- Pray the church will proclaim the gospel (Romans 1:16)
- Pray that the church fulfils Jesus’ command to make and multiply disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)
- Pray that more workers step up to play their part (Matthew 9:37-38)
- Pray for protection and unity in the church (John 17:11)
You should pray for God’s kingdom to come in your network of friends and circles of influence too. Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people in their lifetime! Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. God has placed you where you are. You have a sphere of influence. Pray for non-Christian friends with whom you have contact. Pray for a turnaround in old friendships, where maybe things have been a certain way for years (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you are at work, pray for your boss and colleagues. Wherever you are, God can use you to bring His light, His kingdom, here on earth through the contacts you make and how you pray for those individuals. And if you don’t have many non-Christian friends, pray that God gives you more. You have more influence than you probably realise. And your prayers are more powerful than you realise too! Don’t be content with how things look right now: pray for God’s Kingdom to come where you are and in all the people you know.
Finally we are to pray for God’s kingdom to come in each nation. The Bible tells us to pray for all in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Here Paul says that we must pray first of all for those in authority, for all areas of our lives, families and society will be impacted by whether or not we have good government and people in positions of authority. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are permitted to criticise those in authority. We are however urged in scripture to pray. So, pray for the national and local Government, the Royal Family, and those in positions of authority and responsibility in business, law, the media, the arts, education, the police, the medical profession, social services…for all in authority! Pray for people of God to be in places of authority. For people of good character, passionate for justice, full of compassion. Pray for rulers who lead through serving, just as Jesus did, and that you will be like this in the positions of authority you hold too. Your prayers will bring about social transformation as God’s kingdom comes in each nation. So pray for your own nation. Pray also for your home nation if it is not the one you live in now. And pray for specific nations such as others we are connected with like South Africa and Colombia. Pray also for Christians who are being persecuted in nations such as Iraq, Iran and China. And do not forget to pray for Israel (Psalm 122:6). So today, broaden your prayers and broaden your vision by praying ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done’.
