Thy Kingdom Come

Many years ago, I read a devotional where the author implied that for every prayer we pray, we have a part to play in it getting answered. While that might not always be the case, it is true for most prayer points. For example, a man praying to God for a wife must be bold enough to talk to women. A woman trusting God for a job must be willing to submit job applications. A couple believing God for a child must play their part.

After Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He said to them:

“When you pray, say:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.”

(Luke 11:2-4, KJV) (emphasis added)

When we pray Thy Kingdom come, what part can we play in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth? When we pray Thy Kingdom come, how can we partner with God to build His kingdom on earth?

We’ll look at the words of Jesus and the Apostles and pick some admonitions on how we can establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23, KJV) (emphasis added)

A gospel is defined as a set of principles or beliefs. We know that a couple of religious groups existed in the days of Jesus, including the Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, the Zealots, etc. These groups had tenets they held on to. For instance, the Pharisees believed in the supernatural—angels, demons, heaven, hell, etc.—while the Sadducees did not.

The gospel of the Kingdom of God is a gospel of salvation. It is not a gospel that makes bad men good, it is a gospel that makes dead men come to life.

Today, we have a couple of gospels, including the social justice gospel, whose major theme is to feed the poor and cater to the needy; the self-help gospel, a gospel with an emphasis on making a person better (proponents of this gospel usually have a list of things people can do to improve their lives); the moralism gospel, a gospel that teaches that we are saved by being good and kind; and the renowned prosperity gospel, a gospel which teaches that once you give your life to Jesus, your material, financial, and physical needs will be met.

Although the Bible teaches us to care for the poor and needy among us, although it shows us the mess in us and tells us how we can become more like Jesus, although it teaches us to be good and kind and tells us that Christ became poor that we might be rich, the gospel of the kingdom of Christ is different from some of the gospels we hear today. If we look closely, we’ll see that the prosperity gospel doesn’t stand biblical scrutiny. For example, we see in 2 Thessalonians 1:5 KJV that some of us will suffer for the sake of the kingdom (…that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer). We also see this in Acts 14:22, KJV : “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16, KJV). In his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul shows us clearly that the gospel of Christ is first and foremost about salvation. The gospel of the Kingdom of God is a gospel of salvation. It is not a gospel that makes bad men good, it is a gospel that makes dead men come to life.

While some of the advantages of the other gospels will be present in the life of a believer, we must never focus on what Jesus didn’t focus on. In Matthew 6:33, KJV Jesus taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God (paraphrase: seek ye first the gospel of the kingdom of God), and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” From Jesus, we learn that there is the gospel of the kingdom. So, to establish God’s Kingdom on earth, we should preach the Gospel of the kingdom and no other gospel.

Children and the Kingdom

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1, 2, 4, KJV)

But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14, KJV)

Children hold no grudges and keep no record of wrong. They do not stay detached for too long after correction, and they can be very trusting. They get over things easily – for instance, it’s possible for them to cry one moment and smile in the next. From the passages above, we see that praying Thy Kingdom Come means we are called to humility which is a hallmark of children.

Service in the Kingdom

The mother of two of Jesus’ disciples —James and John Zebedee— wanted to know what she could do for her son’s to be seated at the right and left hand sides of God in his kingdom. The other disciples heard the conversation and were upset. Then, Jesus, in His usual way, shocked them and said something they probably weren’t expecting to hear.

But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave (Matthew 20: 25-27, NLT)

There is nothing glamorous about leadership in the Kingdom of God. He went on to use Himself as an example (For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many – Matthew 20:28, KJV).

When we kneel to pray Thy Kingdom come, we stand to service. As we pray Thy Kingdom come, the accompanying attitude is one of servitude.

Conclusion

Our responsibility in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth can be approached from three angles: preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, having childlike humility, and having a heart of service.

As Jesus said to His disciples, I say to you Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32, KJV). But as with many things that God has and will achieve on earth, He needs men to establish His Kingdom on earth.