LUKE 11: 1-2
Luke 11:1-2
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.”
The words your kingdom come” is part of the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught his followers to pray: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” We often understand this as a request for God’s presence, healing, justice, and order to enter our world. We desire God to bring goodness and set things right.
But what if praying for God’s kingdom is more than a plea for him to intervene? What if it’s also an invitation for God to work in and through us? This shifts our prayer from focusing solely on external circumstances to asking how God’s purposes might unfold in our own lives. Instead of only praying about issues “out there,” we recognize that God’s kingdom also comes through us, as we allow him to shape our actions and character.
Praying this way can be more challenging, as it asks us to be open and willing participants in God’s work. However, this challenge need not be intimidating if we remember the prayer’s beginning: focusing on God’s glory and giving him honour sets the tone for how we respond. When we place our attention on who God is—his holiness, love, grace, and mercy—we rightly understand that our involvement in his kingdom is his work in us. As his children, one way we bring honour and glory to his name is by participating in what he is doing in the world.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for who you are. Thank you for your love, grace, mercy, and compassion, which you give me every day. Help me to honour your name by allowing you to work your purposes in my life as you bring your kingdom to this world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Pastor Nich Kitchen, Epping