ON PRAYER (6)
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” — Matthew 6:10
The Savior’s first words in response to the disciples’ request, “Lord, teach us to pray [Luke 11:1],” directs to worship. It is the first and primary element in prayer. The next verse, following Matthew’s account, directs the worshipper to the divine agenda as his first concern. “Thy kingdom come…” It is interesting that just before His return to “the right hand of the Majesty on high,” this concern was on the minds of His disciples, who inquired, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom unto Israel [Acts 1:6].” Not surprising, since in the brief time between His resurrection and ascension Christ had been “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (v.3).” They, however, were thinking provincially, whereas His consideration was on a much larger, indeed a universal scale.
This world will never be right until the King returns and “the kingdoms of this world…become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ…[Who] shall reign for ever and forever [Rev. 11:15].” This is God’s grand objective, and its realization should be uppermost in every believer’s heart, manifested in the way believers pray. The proper objective is to see God’s will, which is even now fulfilled in His holy habitation, realized upon this planet “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” Oh, glorious day!
However, most of our praying and much of our living is aimed at improving our lot in “this present evil world,” rather than focusing on and striving toward “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus [Phil. 3:14].” Health, wealth and personal “happiness” form the substance of most of our prayers rather than the glory of God.
When we have truly learned to pray, His will will be more important to us than self preservation and our personal welfare. The evidence for that is seen in the Mount of Olives where we have a glimpse of the Savior Himself in prayer. He “kneeled down and prayed,…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me,” revealing that natural instinct to shrink from suffering and death. Recall, however, the ruling motivation in His life:
“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me…Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God [Heb. 10:5,7].”
Again, the will of the Father was more important to him than His necessary food:
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work [John 4:34].” (see also John 5:30, 6:38)
So, in that prayer on the mount, He concludes, “Nevertheless, not My will, but thine be done [Luke 22:42].”
If we pray from the heart for the coming of His kingdom and the realization of His will on earth, there will be an underlying prayer that His will may be done here and now in our lives—at whatever cost. What that may be specifically for each individual believer one cannot say, but what it means in general is fairly evident.
“This is the will of God, even your sanctification… [I Thess. 4:3].” Though the context refers to sexual purity, the principle is of much broader application. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God Rom. 12:1].” When a desire for His will to be “done in earth” dominates our prayers, a passion for holiness will dominate our lives.
Another aspect of God’s will confronts us when the Holy Spirit declares, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [II Pet. 3:9].” The negative “not willing” discloses God’s will that getting the gospel out to a perishing world should take precedence in our lives over getting worldly goods and comforts in. When that aspect of of His will is incorporated in our prayer, we will be praying for the direction of our own energies toward the same end.
If we are really praying and longing for the return of the King of glory and the establishment of the kingdom “wherein dwelleth righteousness,” we will remember that He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come [Matt. 24:14 my italcs].” If we are really praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…” then our lives will be aiming in that direction.
“For where [our] treasure is, there will [our] heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)
“Lord, teach us to pray!”
"Pastor" Frasier
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