21 Days of Prayer and Fasting - Day 10

KINGDOM

Matthew 6:10 “ . . . your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

After Jesus’ demonstration and invitation to step into prayer with God as “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” Jesus then turns our prayers not toward heaven, but earth.

The introduction of the prayer “Our Father . . .” gets us into God’s presence, but now this “. . . your kingdom come . . . on earth” gets God into our present.

Let’s briefly break this down. God’s “kingdom” refers to God’s royalty, reign, rule, righteousness, and relationship. God’s “will” refers to God’s desires and decisiveness. In prayer, we are to invite God to pour into us His kingdom and will, and we are to relinquish control of our kingdom and will. This is where real transformation begins to happen through the practice of prayer. We tend to want the benefits of the kingdom of God delivered to us through prayer. However, prayer is to recenter us not on the benefits of the kingdom, but God as King. So a transformative exchange happens in prayer. Namely, I hand God my “kingship.”

As Jesus guides us in prayer, He helps us discover God as Our Father, whom we can trust. If God is a loving Father, then relinquishing our “kingship” is not a loss, but rather a gain of what we truly need. So, we can relinquish our kingdom and will with eagerness in belief that He is better. God is a better king than me. God’s standards are better than mine. God’s desires are better than mine. God’s wisdom for decision-making is better than mine. So, we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” When we do, not only do we hand God our “kingship,” but we receive His kingdom and participate in His will. Doing what Jesus taught us to do becomes the joy of our lives. We begin to see earth, our present right in front of us, through the lens of Jesus. In every aspect of life, our decisions and ourselves become increasingly shaped and formed by God’s desires. That is the transforming power of prayer!

REFLECTION

In what areas of life do you feel a resistance to relinquish your kingdom and will?

Take a moment to reflect on why you think that is.

How does the invitation to ask God’s kingdom to come and will to be done motivate you to pray?