“Your kingdom come . . .”

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

God has supreme power and authority over everything in heaven and earth. When we acknowledge God’s sovereignty, we affirm and welcome His reign in our lives. We promise to live in ways that honor Him. But God’s kingdom is both here and now — and yet to come. During Jesus’ life on earth, His ministry was “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to recover sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”  (Luke 4:18-19). When Jesus was around, people were freed from sickness, suffering, and pain. When Jesus returns to reign supreme, there will be no more pain, suffering, or evil ever again. God will make everything right in the end.

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” (Daniel 2:44)

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”         (Revelation 21:3-4)

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was near (Mark 1:15). When asked when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” God’s kingdom will be evident in the lives of those who make Him their Lord. This petition asks the Lord to change our lives so that His goodness is always evident through us.

Some people have interpreted this prayer as an invitation to impact culture by passing laws calling people back to safer moral standards. But Jesus made clear His Church’s mission: to lead people to Himself. Jesus commissioned all disciples to proclaim that Jesus is King and Lord over all (Matthew 28:18-20). Our obedience to this commission helps spread God’s kingdom throughout the world. This prayer can function as a petition for the strength and power we need to usher in God’s kingdom on earth. When we focus on recognizing and embracing God’s reign in this world, we help to make it visible.