When you and I come to know God as our Father, we find out just how truly wonderful He is. This knowledge creates within us a desire to see Him glorified; thus, we pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.” It also creates within us a hunger to see others come to know Him; thus we pray “Thy kingdom come.”
“Hallowed be Thy name” expresses a desire to see God glorified. But, we must also know that He will never receive all the glory due Him until His kingdom becomes a reality both in us as individuals and in the world as a whole. Therefore, we are told to pray “Thy kingdom come.”
These three words may be short in length, but they contain a message that is immense. Understanding what each of these words means can help shed some light on the power contained in this short phrase.
1. “Thy”—This word is a pronoun, and it refers to the Father who is in heaven. The kingdom we are talking about is not human in origin. It is not a kingdom with castles and moats, knights in shining armor, and ladiesin-waiting. It is a spiritual kingdom that belongs exclusively and totally to God.
2. “Kingdom”—This word comes from the Greek word basilica, and it means “royal power, kingship, dominion or to rule or to reign.” So, to pray “Thy kingdom come” is to pray for God’s reign to come upon the earth.
3. “Come”—This little word is an imperative verb meaning “suddenly, insistently, and quickly.” It suggests the sudden appearance of a new kingdom upon this earth that is under the total control of God Almighty.
Thus, to pray “Thy kingdom come” is to pray for the sudden and absolute rule of God over the entire world. Real prayer is about seeking God’s rule in the world. I want to give you three conclusions that arise out of this understanding of the phrase “Thy kingdom come.” These three conclusions teach us the truth that prayer is about reigning.
I. THIS PETITION IS PROPHETIC
A. It is clear when you read the Bible that God often promises that there will be a future kingdom of righteousness upon this earth. When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are asking our Father to bring this kingdom to pass on the earth; therefore, we are asking God to fulfill all His promises and prophecies concerning His earthly kingdom.
B. Notice a few of the passages that speak to this thought: Isaiah 9:6, 7; Daniel 2:44; Luke 1:32, 33; Matthew 25:31. Just as surely as Jesus was born, lived, and died on this earth, there will come a day when He will reign and rule here in power, glory, and righteousness!
C. This future kingdom will be vastly different from any kingdom that has ever existed upon this earth. Earthly kingdoms are tainted by the effects of sin (2 Cor. 4:4; Rom. 8:22). The world lies under the grip of sin, but a day is coming when Jesus Himself will rule this world (Rev. 11:15).
D. When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are echoing the groans of nature; voicing the great songs heard around God’s throne in glory (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:11-14), and we are sharing the same desire that resides within God’s heart. We are praying that His righteous, absolute rule might be realized upon this earth. That is a noble prayer!
Let us therefore pray “Thy kingdom come” and join our voices with John as he says, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
II. THIS PETITION IS PERSONAL
A. Just as surely as we are praying for the appearance of a future kingdom, we are also praying for His kingdom to be realized in our lives.
B. The word kingdom means “royal power, kingship, dominion or to rule or to reign.” When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are praying for God to rule and reign in our personal lives. This petition expresses a desire for God to be our Lord, Sovereign, and King.
C. This is ultimately a prayer that God will be enthroned within our hearts. We should seek to see that we are dethroned, that Satan is dethroned, and that God alone is enthroned in our hearts!
D. A lot of people do not like this concept. They want a Jesus they can mold into their image. But, if you want the Jesus of the Bible, you must capitulate all to Him and His Kingship. This desire is the mark of a genuinely saved believer (John 14:15)!
E. While the literal reign of Jesus is a future event, those who are saved by His grace are citizens of that kingdom right now (Phil. 3:20). We are to pray that His kingdom will be lived out through our lives for His glory.
III. THIS PETITION IS PRACTICAL
A. When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are expressing a desire to see His work, His Word, and His will advanced in the world today. Friends, we might as well face this fact: We will not make this world any better through our efforts. In other words, we will not be able to usher in His kingdom by ourselves. He will bring it when He comes, and it will be established by His power alone. We can, however, have a part in seeing that our Lord’s kingdom is spread abroad in the world around us.
B. There are several ways we can do this:
1. Through prayer. We are to pray for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done in the world around us.
2. Through submission. We are to yield our lives to Him so that He can live through us. As we do, He demonstrates His love, grace, and saving power to a lost and dying world (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 4:7).
3. Through outreach. When we are properly burdened over a lost and dying world, we will go into that world and spread the gospel message. Our desire will be to see others saved, and we will do everything in our power to make that happen. We have been commanded to do this (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19, 20), and we have all the resources we need (Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16).
C. We need to ask ourselves these questions: What are we doing as individuals and as a church to spread God’s kingdom in the world today? What can we do to be more effective for His glory.
CONCLUSION
Are you praying for His kingdom to come in this world? Are you doing all you can to see that the message of the King—the gospel—is shared with the lost? Are you as yielded to His Lordship in your own life as you should be?
There may be someone listening to this sermon who is not yet part of God’s kingdom. Today would be a great time for you to come before Him and receive Him into your heart and life.
General Conference Ministerial Association
