Your Kingdom Come

Text: Matthew 6:5-15

Main Point/FCF: Oftentimes, our prayers are self-centered and treat God like a cosmic vending machine or spiritual Santa Clause who exists merely for our pleasure and happiness. In the war between the kingdoms, the kingdom of this earth is always pulling at our attention, demanding our focus. But God calls us to seek his kingdom first. When we pray like Jesus, it transforms our focus and mindset and empowers us to become powerful ambassadors for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Application: Prayer is our God-given means to reorient our hearts to God and his Kingdom. Pray, then, like this.

Matthew 6:5–15 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Praise the Father. (6:9)

Matthew 6:9 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The first priority in our praying, as with everything else that we do, is to seek the glory of God.

This is a prayer that God would be glorified.

There are certainly times when we cry out, “Father, help!” So, I’m not suggesting that if you don’t begin every single prayer with praise that you’ve prayed unbiblically and that God will not answer your prayers.

But, praise for the Father ought to permeate our prayers and ought to be the norm when we start our prayers.

Starting our prayers with praise orients our focus properly to God’s nature and the blessings that he has already given us, rather than jumping immediately to our needs, desires, or complaints.

This puts us in a proper perspective and prevents us from approaching the throne of grace flippantly or selfishly.

Prayer ought to be both intimate and respectful.

We do not have to use Victorian English when we pray, nor do we need to pile on titles for God: “Our Almighty, Benevolent, Transcendent Deity...” We can approach God as a loving Father.

Yet, we are entering the throneroom of the Almighty King of the Universe, so respect is due. If we don’t approach God in a standoffish manner with high Victorian English, we also don’t approach God as if he’s just another “one of the guys”— “Yo, G-dog, wassup homie?”

If our grandparents’ generation might have been guilty of formalism, ours day and age is often overly casual about God. There is a great danger in treating what is holy as if it were common.

What matters most is not the particular words--you’re not restricted to saying “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name”--what matters most is what’s in your heart.

Praise God for his faithfulness, his holiness, his goodness, his presence, and also for all that he has done in your life--both spiritually and physically.

Rejoice in the advancement of his Kingdom. (6:10)

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Our greatest desire should be to see the Kingdom of God in its fullness.

Note that this is the very first request Jesus makes in his prayer.

If your heart does not burn to see God’s kingdom overtake the earth, then stop right here and keep praying until it does!

Ask God to give you a passion for his kingdom!

Think about all the ways this earth would be better if God ruled as King and every part of creation was fully submissive to his rule. Your finances, your health, your relationships, your struggle with sin--all perfectly brought into submission to a righteous, holy God.

That’s what we’re praying for when we pray for God’s Kingdom.

This aspect of prayer is very closely tied in with the next part...

Align our will to his. (6:10)

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

This is the part of the prayer where we bend our will and desires to God’s.

It is often said that “Prayer changes things.” That is well and true. But what kinds of things does prayer change? Does prayer, for instance, change the immutable will of God so that, through our prayers we somehow move God to do what he otherwise had not planned to do? Certainly not! Such a notion is blasphemy! Scripture attests that God is unchanging and his plan is fixed.

Malachi 3:6 ESV

6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Numbers 23:19 ESV

19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

1 Samuel 15:29 ESV

29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

The immutability of God = God (and his eternal plan) does not change

This isn’t a sermon on the immutability (or unchanging-ness) of God, so I’m not going to lay out a full argument for that. For the purpose of this message, we’re going to assume what has been clearly taught in orthodox Christian circles for millennia, that God does not change or change his mind.

So, do our prayers change the will of God so that we somehow move God to do what he otherwise had not planned to do? Certainly not! But many people have precisely this notion in their minds, whether consciously or not, that if they simply believe enough--that God will provide healing, or that God will give them a raise, or whatever selfish desire they may have--then God is somehow bound to change his will and plan to accommodate their prayers such that God will do what he had not previously planned to do. This type of praying is an attempt to manipulate God into serving us.

But if our prayers do not change the immutable will of God--which by its very definition is unchanging--then what is the purpose of prayer? If prayer does not change the will of God, what does it change?

And we see the answer in the Lord’s prayer itself, if we have eyes to see it: “Pray then like this: Your kingdom come, your will be done.”

Prayer changes our will, not God’s.

Prayer, then, is not meant to change the will of God, but to change the will of man. Prayer is not the means by which we bend the will of God to our own, but the means by which we bend our wills to align with his.

“But if God is sovereign and has a plan for His people and His world, why pray? Isn’t praying interfering with God’s will? No, it isn’t. Prayer is one of the means God has ordained to accomplish His will in this world.

It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth. Prayer is not telling God what we want and then selfishly enjoying it. Prayer is asking God to use us to accomplish what He wants so that His name is glorified, His kingdom is extended and strengthened, and His will is done.

Warren W. Wiersbe

The bottom line is that God does not exist to make us happy, healthy, and wealthy or to bring glory to us, we exist to bring glory to God and to be used in whatever way he wishes to further his kingdom and glory. And when we live our lives in that way, with that Kingdom focus, ironically, we find out that is the key to true joy and fulfillment and purpose in life.

What about the “prayer of faith?”

“But,” someone will say, “What about James’ prayer of faith? Doesn’t he promise that if we pray for healing God will give it?”

James 5:13–16 ESV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Well, first off, common experience tells us that can’t be the correct interpretation of this passage, since many people have prayed sincerely believing for healing, and have not received it. Furthermore, we are clearly told in Scripture that every man will one day die. So, Scripture cannot be promising healing for every prayer. When we interpret Scripture, we must use what is clear to interpret that which is unclear. Scripture is clear that we will all suffer in this life, and that we will all die, and that God sometimes does not answer our prayers in the way that we hope.

And, a closer look at James’ teaching reveals that such a promise was never James’ intention.

We often assume that verse 15 promises physical healing. But what it says is that the “prayer of faith will save the one who is sick...and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

James 5:15–16 ESV

15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

The word “save” can mean being physically spared, but it can also mean salvation from sins. The words “raise him up” could refer to physical restoration, but it also could refer to resurrection. In fact, when God is the subject of the word “raise” in the NT, every single occurrence of the word refers to being raised from the dead.

Might God use our prayers to bring physical healing and restoration to the sick? Absolutely! And he does this quite frequently! But, sometimes he uses our sickness to bring about a greater spiritual healing. What is absolutely certain is that the prayer of faith will provide spiritual healing, forgiveness of sins, and salvation. Sometimes, it may also provide physical healing, but not always. So, even when we pray for healing, we must align our will to God’s.

In fact, James has just finished warning his audience about the dangers of presumption when we pray selfishly:

James 4:2–3 ESV

2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

So then, the “prayer of faith” does not include selfish prayers or prayers that are not in alignment with the will of God, it means precisely the opposite!

God will always grant requests that seek his Kingdom first and are in line with his will.

What prayer changes most of all is us. And since God is perfect and his plan is perfect and he is immutable and unchangeable what needs to change is not God or his will, but us and our will. So, let us pray. And let us pray confidently knowing that as we humbly and genuinely seek to bend our wills to his, HE WILL ANSWER. And he will use us to further his Kingdom and his will in this world, because he has promised to do so.

So, having praised the Father, rejoiced in the advancement of his Kingdom, and having aligned our wills to his, we turn to our daily needs.

Yield our daily needs to him (6:11)

Matthew 6:11 ESV

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

Once we have done all those other things (Praised God, sought his kingdom, aligned our will to his...), it becomes so much easier to do this.

We are not owed as much as we think.

Notice that Christ does not command us to pray for or expect our monthly paycheck, or our weekly supply, but our daily bread. He does not command us to pray for our daily eating out or our daily delicacies, but our daily bread.

It is very easy in our society to think of a monthly income and our monthly bills as our basic necessities. But nowhere in Scripture does God promise us the ability to pay for a home that will take us 30 years to pay off. Nowhere in Scripture does God promise us the ability to pay for a vehicle that an entire village in Papua New Guinea could not afford. Nowhere in Scripture does God promise us the ability to dine in fine restaurants or eat the delicacies that surround us in America.

What God promises us is clothes to cover our bodies and food enough for the day.

What we deserve is Hell. Anything above and beyond that is grace and mercy from a loving Father.

Do not be deceived into buying the lie from Satan that we deserve the comforts that our American neighbors enjoy.

In I Tim. 6, Paul warns his young protege Timothy against falling into this trap:

1 Timothy 6:6–10 ESV

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

So much of our frustrations with unanswered prayers really boil down to unmet unbiblical expectations.

Illustration of story of Rex turning down his pay because he didn’t want to be a “rich man.”

When we get our perspective right and we truly understand and see ourselves as we ought to, our bitterness and resentment towards God is transformed into overwhelming gratitude and humility.

Our Father is generous.

We are owed and we are promised very little. But God gives lavishly beyond what is required.

Matthew 6:8 ESV

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

and Jesus encourages us with these words in Luke:

Luke 12:32 ESV

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Don’t miss this! Scripture says--Jesus himself says!--that it gives God pleasure, it makes him happy, to “give you the kingdom.”

Knowing the grace, love, and mercy of the Father, yield your daily needs to him.

Extend forgiveness to others (6:12)

Matthew 6:12 ESV

12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus assumes that, before you ask for forgiveness, you have already given it.

He says “we have also forgiven,” which means it has already taken place.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t pray if you haven’t forgiven someone. Sometimes prayer--especially the part where we align our will to God’s--is the means God uses to soften our hearts so that we can forgive.

But, it does assume that you’re not holding onto a grudge long-term and presuming upon the mercy of God while withholding it to others.

Matthew 6:14–15 ESV

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

A heart that has been reconciled to God must seek reconciliation with others.

If we recognize the depth and severity of our own sins and God’s mercy and grace in covering them, how can we withhold mercy and grace to others?

The greatest sin that has ever been committed is that of the rejection, torture, and murder of the holy Son of God. And since that sin made possible your forgiveness, then that sin was, in a sense, committed on your behalf. That makes you guilty of the murder of Christ.

When you understand that, then the sins that others commit against you pale in comparison.

And if you cannot find it in yourself to forgive, then that is evidence that you do not understand the severity of your sins against God. It is evidence that you have not truly repented of your sins and you are unsaved.

Christians have to be people who gush forgiveness.

Repent of our sins (6:12)

Matthew 6:12 ESV

12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Daily, regular, heartfelt repentance is required.

So much of our Christian walk boils down to humility

Repentance requires admitting when you’ve done wrong and confessing that to the Father.

We cannot expect God to work through our lives and use us for the kingdom while we harbor sin in our lives and refuse to let it go.

Habitual sin is an idol that divides our allegiance and renders us ineffective for the Kingdom.

If you want power in your prayers, get on your knees and repent!

Seek deliverance from temptation (6:13)

Matthew 6:13 ESV

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Regularly praying for deliverance from temptation helps us to be aware of its presence.

Does God sometimes lead us into temptation?

Matthew 4:1 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Although God never directly tempts believers (James 1:13), he does sometimes lead them into situations that “test” them (also Job 1).

In fact, trials and hardships will inevitably come to believers’ lives, and believers should “count it all joy” (James 1:2) when trials come, for they are strengthened by them (James 1:3–4).

But that doesn’t mean we should seek out such circumstances.

Believers should never pray to be brought into such situations but should pray to be delivered from them, for hardship and temptation make obedience more difficult and will sometimes result in sin.

While we have already submitted to God’s will, which may well include a season of testing, it is ok to pray for deliverance. God may work through our prayers to show us a way of escape in the midst of temptation or difficult circumstances that we might not have noticed had we not prayed.

Conclusion: Prayer is absolutely essential to our Christian walk. This prayer is just an example, a model for us to use and build upon as we pray. And sometimes, we don’t know how to pray or what God’s will is. In those cases, the Holy Spirit helps us. But, as we Praise the Father, Rejoice in his Kingdom, Align our will to his, Yield our daily needs, Extend forgiveness to others, Repent of our sins, and Seek deliverance from evil, we bring our lives more and more into the will of God and extend the Kingdom of God into a world that desperately needs Christ.

Benediction:

Romans 8:26–28 ESV

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.