Matthew 6:5-15
Verse 10 “…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
After declaring who God is, Jesus moves the prayer to an appeal to God to align us with Himself. Remember, Jesus started out this discussion about personal prayer, so we need to look at what these various requests should mean to us so we can apply them to our lives. By asking for His kingdom to come we are affirming His kingdom isn’t here and that we don’t live as kingdom people on our own. Nor is our will always aligned with His.
Just as we were reminded of God’s holiness so we could see our sinfulness, being reminded of the kingdom is a way to see ourselves as foreigners in this world. We should be longing to see His kingdom come because that will mean things are being done in His way. We can only receive glimpses of His kingdom in this world but will one day know it in full when He calls us home to His kingdom.
Jesus didn’t stop with a pleading for God’s kingdom since that is for the future. He showed His listeners how to ask for the glimpses of His kingdom by asking for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We would likely agree how we want to see what we know is His will being displayed on the earth. But with that thought should come the conviction that we don’t always allow Him to have His will in our actions or words.
Jesus wanted us to understand our need of seeking Him and praying for His will because we see need of it in our lives. When we don’t understand His will and aren’t seeking Him, we likely won’t be living in ways which please Him. This pleading for His will to be done is really a plea for Him to help us desire what He wants of us. Jesus wanted us to want His will more than we want our own. The question is, do we really want that too?
To desire Him to convict us in ways we are not walking in His will could be considered a dangerous prayer. It is a prayer we should only pray when we are serious about making Him the Lord of our lives, a prayer that sets us up for opportunities for repentance. If we honestly want to have revival through repentance we need to pray the hard prayers and accept the conviction so He can revive us to be all He has created us to be.
Making It Personal
Have you ever prayed for conviction? What is your normal response to conviction? Do you hope for revival enough in your life that you’re willing to ask God today where you need to repent?
Making It Personal Kids
Why is it important to know what Jesus’ will is? What should you do if you know His will? What do you think is His will for you today?
Closing Prayer
Father, we repent of all the times we have ignored Your will or have not even bothered to find out what Your will is. Please give us the desire to know and obey You in the way You desire. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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