Hi, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.
Today we continue praying the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on the phrase, “Your kingdom come.” First, the whole prayer:
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and forever,
Amen.
Our Father in Heaven,
“Your kingdom come.”
We pray to you as king, which seems rather odd in our modern world
where democracies elect presidents,
where dictators appoint themselves to rule,
where Big Brother watches us on security cameras and cell phones,
and where Kings and Queens are invested with great pomp and little power.
But you don’t call yourself dictator or president or Big Brother. You call yourself King — undisputed ruler over all that exists, because you created everything and you sustain it all.
If you are king, then why must we pray for your kingdom to come? Is it not already here? Where are you not already king?
We confess that you are not king in our lives, because we reserve control for ourselves. We cling to that bit of money, that bit of power, that bit of self-expression that is so important to us. Beside your big kingdom, we build little kingdoms of our own design. We pray your kingdom come, oh God, overruling our self-styled kingdoms and plans.
We confess that you are not king in our choice of entertainment. We amuse ourselves with relationship-destroying behaviour in movies, TV programs, video games and music. Your kingdom come, O God, that we may build and honor the life you give.
We confess that you are not king in our homes. Free us from being petty tyrants who rule by fear and manipulation. Free us from eating too much and exercising too little. May your kingdom come to our homes, that they may be places of health and relationship and life.
We confess that you are not king in our churches. These are human institutions
where we argue about styles of music and length of sermons;
where we want others to honour us;
where the church leaders vie for power and influence;
where we gossip and criticize and say all manner of evil against each other.
May your kingdom come to our churches, that our service will be done in love for you and others.
We confess that you are not king in our nation and in our world of nations. Our world is full of racial injustice, economic injustice, political corruption, and moral bankruptcy. Our greed causes devastating climate change. Bring your kingdom, O God, to our world, to politics and economics, to education and law-courts, to business and employment and morality and climate.
We remember Paul’s words, “The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Be in us that righteousness, peace, and joy, making our lives part of your kingdom, making them springs of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).
Amen.
I’m Daniel on the channel “Pray with Me”.
Pray with Me 