Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
For today we will focus our thoughts on the coming of God's kingdom. Our Lord instructed us to pray for the coming of the kingdom of God but while he was here in the flesh he told his followers to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
How are we to pray for something that is at hand but not yet here? Are you confused yet? On the surface it seems as if these two statements are at odds with each other. This can never be the case with the Scriptures. Our job is to see how these two statements can be in agreement with each other as we consider the whole counsel of Scripture.
The verb used to describe how we are to pray for the kingdom of God to come is in the imperative mood. We are to pray in such a way that we earnestly desire to see the full realization of the kingdom of God on this earth. It should consume us as we pray for the reign of our Lord to be fully realized in this world.
When we walk through the streets of our cities and see the moral and spiritual pollution we should find our selves crying out to God for the return of his Son. When we look in the mirror of our own lives we should cry out for the return of our Sovereign Lord. When we see the nations that have yet to have access to the Gospel of Christ we should cry out for the return of our Lord.
This is not a defeatist mentality this is an offensive prayer that longs to see the overthrow of all that is false and wicked and to see the full realization of all that is divine and pure and holy.
In many ways you can read this verse in this manner, "Our Father who art in heaven we will not be satisfied until your kingdom is among us so we will continue to pray for the appearing of your kingdom and we will not stop until it is our present possession"
Let our prayers be filled with pleas for the return of our Savior for we cannot live without him. We have a growing homesickness that grows in our prayer as we look forward with growing anticipation of his return when we shall be without sin forever. Let us give ourselves to such praying..
God Bring your Kingdom among us and do it today,