The Lord Jesus taught his disciples to pray saying, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:9-10, NKJV.
The verse above encapsulates the primary motivation/drive for praying to God. Remember the Lord Jesus’ instruction: Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Here we’re reminded that the kingdom of God and the will of God are like two sides of a coin: You cannot have one without the other. Hence, rejecting the will of God in actual fact is tantamount to rejecting His kingdom. Yet, without the latter the will of God’s materializing on earth becomes only wishful thinking or illusory. Apart from the Kingdom of God “all these things” (food, clothes, house…) would feel not as add ups but rather hustle/struggle to get, in line with Genesis 3:19a, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,…”.
We’re also told that the kingdom of God comes on earth through the prayers of God’s children. Is this not great? Accordingly, it means that God’s kingdom is not of this world (see John 18:36), but it comes nevertheless when God’s children invite it in or ask in prayer for it to come.
How does the kingdom of God come?
To avoid speculating on the question we refer to the relevant words of the Lord Jesus himself in Matthew 12:28, NKJV, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” -Talking about the rule of God on earth by His Spirit, or what happens when, by His Spirit, God overrules in situations and circumstances confronting individuals and communities on earth by bringing his sovereign will to bear upon them….-For example, healing is God overruling sickness and deliverance is God overruling demonic/satanic possession/oppression.
Simply put, the coming of the kingdom of God on earth is manifested in His will being done through the Spirit of God (see Jeremiah 29:11). And, the coming of God’s kingdom on earth is contingent on God’s children on earth asking/praying for it to come. In this context the statement of the Lord Jesus in Luke 11:13 (NKJV) is noteworthy: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” The Holy Spirit comes to help materialise the will of God in our everyday living as to ensure God’s exclusive and comprehensive rule (kingdom) upon us. Glory!!!
Why Pray?
We recall that the coming of the Kingdom of God and His will materializing on earth is contingent on God’s children/people on earth praying for it to come. Understanding the foregoing led one brother to say: “henceforth, I resolve to not pray except for the Kingdom of God to come and His will be done on earth, yes even in my own life and specific situations and circumstances, as it is in heaven.
For the kingdom of God to come on earth and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven -talking about heaven on earth- God’s children must pray accordingly. Hence, we’re told about Anna who was also a prophet and widow until she was eighty-four and “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” (Luke 2:36-37, NKJV)
Have you ever wondered what Anna prayed for night and day? The answer to the question is in Luke 2:38 (NKJV), “And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”
Please note, (1) she gave thanks to the Lord and (2) she spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Simply put, the child born was in fulfilment of the Lord’s plan of redemption/salvation spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament – A fulfilment for which God’s people and prophets didn’t stop praying for many centuries until it came to pass…. It came to pass thanks to their targeted prayers so that they’re truly God’s partners on earth!
Undoubtedly, Anna’s life was in line with the tradition viewing prayer as means thereby God’s children/people on earth invite His Kingdom to come and get His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. See, God can plan in heaven, however His people on earth need to pray for God to bring it to fulfilment on earth! Would you join us in this noble calling?
It is important to understand that the focus in prayer should be first of all always on the Kingdom and Will of God as main drive or motivation and even the goal of His people’s prayers! Sounds like us, doesn’t? If not, then here the call for repentance is in order….
The ultimate example is the Lord Jesus when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane three times “saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” –Luke 22:42 (NKJV)
Clearly, Jesus knew that “take this cup away from Me” was not the Father’s will, but rather his own at that trying moment. Any human being can identify with the struggle between two wills, as it were, when facing real trials. However, Jesus prayed for the Father’s will instead. This is significant because, as noted above, the kingdom of God and the Will of God are like two sides of a coin: You cannot have one without the other. Clearly, in this instance Jesus demonstrates to us the meaning of “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” hinted at above.
Moreover, the statement “nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” indicates an act of surrender to God as the Sovereign Lord. It is a public confession of the supremacy of God’s will over any other, another way of saying “I-can-never-will-better-than-you Father God hence I surrender”. Is it not true that often times our “shopping-list” approach to prayer sounds as if the will of God is really irrelevant and ours better than His! Our prayers often sound like calling on God to use His Sovereignty to accomplish our will! Enough to leave the angels of God often flabbergasted in our gatherings. Someone rightly reminds us that “Father God” and “Santa God” may rhyme but they don’t mean the same….
Finally, an illustration: Imagine Anna praying according to promises and revelations of the prophets of old such as Micah, Jeremiah, Joel, Isaiah, to name only few….
The prophet Isaiah writing about the Servant of the Lord (Christ or Messiah): Isaiah 53:10 (NIV), “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.“
The Lord’s will:
- ”to crush him and cause him to suffer”. Jesus refers to this as “the cup” in the Gethsemane prayer -Talking about the passion of Christ (crucifixion)
The purpose of the Lord’s will:
- “the Lord makes his life an offering for sin.” (Redemption)
The kingdom of God:
- “he will see his offspring and prolong his days”. The Resurrection by the power of God (God’s Spirit).
- “and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.” Salvation applied by the power of God (God’s Spirit).
Whereas the will of God was crucifixion for the messiah/the Servant of the Lord, the kingdom of God is manifested in the resurrection (God overruling death by His Spirit) which means salvation/redemption for the world -Isaiah prophesied that the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. Without the crucifixion there would be no redemption and no resurrection as evidence of redemption, or as apostle Paul puts it, no hope for the world.
The kingdom of God is the authority and power for his plans and purposes (i.e. God’s Will) to be fulfilled or accomplished on earth, yes even in our individual lives and everyday living.
Why Pray?
Matthew 6:9-10 NKJV, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
