I’m convinced that one of the most important things we cando as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ is to pray! That is what we arereading and studying about here in Luke 11:1-13. The disciples heard Jesuspraying, they had seen John the Baptist teach his disciples to pray, and sothey asked Jesus a great question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The Lord respondsby giving them the pattern of prayer or the “model prayer” is this passage andthat we also read about in Matthew 6.
This model prayer teaches us that we first must have a relationshipwith God as our Father. We then worship Him as we reflect on His attributes andcharacter that are revealed by His name. We worship Him for all that His namerepresents to us from the Scriptures. We praise and give Him thanks for who Heis!
Yesterday we began talking about the first petition of theprayer, which is, “Your kingdom come…”. To understand the importance ofthis petition we should go to the early chapters of the Gospel of John where Jesuswas talking with Nicodemus and He told him: John 3:3-7; “Jesus answered andsaid to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a manbe born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb andbe born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless oneis born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That whichis born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Donot marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'”
You cannot see the kingdom of God and you cannot enter thekingdom of God without being born again by the Word and Spirit of God! TheKingdom of God is everything that pertains to God and His sovereign rule overHis creation! The things of God can only be understood spiritually and there mustbe a new birth from above to experience them.
Paul said that this “spiritual sight” is what kept himgoing through the tough and difficult times in his life and ministry. He wrotein 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though ouroutward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. Forour light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far moreexceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things whichare seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seenare temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
When we are involved in the kingdom work of bringing dearsouls to Jesus, we find these encouraging words in Romans 14:16-19: “Thereforedo not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eatingand drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For hewho serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Thereforelet us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one mayedify another.”
And finally, when we pray for His kingdom to come, we arepraying for Jesus to come back literally and establish His Millennial Kingdomon earth after the Seven-Year Tribulation. When you pray this prayer, youactually join with the Apostle John in making this petition, that he made inthe very last prayer in the Bible. In Revelation 22:20, Jesus gives us His lastrecorded words in the Bible: “He who testifies to these things says,"SurelyI am coming quickly." And John responds with these words: “Amen.Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
Wow!!!! Isn’t that awesome! I trust these words concerningthe kingdom of God and prayer will greatly encourage you in your prayer lifetoday!
God bless!
