“The Program of Prayer” (Part 3)

THE LORD’S PRAYER Sermon Series

“The Program of Prayer” (Part 3)

KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 6:10 (NASB)

Heavenly Father, we bless Your holy name for the songs of the saints and the sound of worship that has filled this place. Now, as we prepare to receive Your Word, we ask for illumination, conviction, and transformation. Let Your Spirit rest upon every listener, and may Your truth take root in every heart. We commit this time to You, through Christ our Savior. Amen. You may be seated.

TITHE and OFFERING

As we continue in worship, we will call on the ushers to pass around the offering plates to receive our tithes and offerings. The worship team will lead us with a song as we give to God our gifts. May this moment be filled with joy, praise, and worship.

PRAYER FOR TITHE and OFFERING

Lord of abundance, receive these offerings as seeds of faith. May they grow into works of compassion, mercy, and truth. Let every gift be a testimony of Your goodness and a tool for Your kingdom. Through Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

WELCOME

Welcome to our Sunday Worship Service. We are glad you have joined us today. Let’s take a moment to stand and greet one another. If you are visiting for the first time, we would love to recognize and welcome you.

ANNOUNCEMENT

📖 Wednesday Night Bible Study Connect Join us every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. for a time of learning, fellowship, and spiritual growth as we study the Word of God. We are currently in the Book of First Samuel, and this week we will focus on Chapter 17– this is a powerful passage that reminds us of God’s strength in the face of giants. Come ready to grow, connect, and be encouraged in your walk with Christ Jesus. 📅 Corporate Prayer Meeting: We gather every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. downstairs in the fellowship hall for a time of prayer. All are welcome as we seek the Lord together in unity and intercession.

DECLARATION of FAITH in GOD

Let us stand and say the Declaration of Faith in God together. Please remain standing as we pray.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, awaken what is asleep in us. Let Your Word stir our conscience, ignite our faith, and renew our obedience. May this sermon not be information alone, but a transformation by Your Holy Spirit. We ask this for Your glory. Amen. You may be seated.

SERMON INTRODUCTION WITH STORY

If you have ever traveled overseas, you know the moment you return to your home country and pass through customs, there is a sense of belonging. You present your passport to the customs officer, and the officer says, “Welcome home.” That phrase carries a lot of weight. It is not just about physical location: it is about belonging. It is not just about where you stand. It is about where you belong. You are not just passing through customs; you belong here because you are a citizen. Citizenship comes with rights, responsibilities, and allegiance. You know where you are from because you know where you were born.  But when you were born again, a divine transaction took place. You were transferred from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of God. You are no longer just a resident of earth; you have become a citizen of heaven, redeemed, adopted, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. You were issued a new passport, not of this world, but of heaven. You became a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

So, when Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come,” He is inviting us to pledge allegiance to a divine government, a spiritual reality that transcends borders and politics. This is not just a prayer; it is a declaration of loyalty to the rule of Christ Jesus. And so, when we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are asking for heaven’s order to invade earth’s disorder. We are asking for righteousness to replace rebellion, for peace to overcome chaos, for the will of God to be done here as it is in heaven. That is all we have time to explore today, just those three words: Your kingdom come. But those three words hold the gravity of God’s eternal purpose.

 SERMON EXPOSITION 1

As we continue our sermon series on The Lord’s Prayer, what we rightly call The Disciple’s Prayer, we come now to the third movement in this divine framework: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The Lord Jesus is teaching us that true prayer is not about bending heaven to meet our desires, but about bending our hearts to match heaven’s design. We serve the Lord in our prayers only when our prayers serve His purposes. That is the program of prayer: not self-expression, but submission; not routine, but revelation.

We have already heard the Lord instruct His disciples and, by extension, tell us not to make prayer a public spectacle. If you are not praying in private, don’t try to impress anyone in public. And don’t fall into the trap of meaningless repetition. God is not moved and impressed by empty phrases repeated without thought or heart. If you are going to pray, pray with purpose. You don’t have to recite these exact words, but let them shape the pattern of your prayer, no matter what words you choose or use.

“Our Father”—my Abba, my Daddy, who lives in a realm beyond this one. “Who is in heaven?”—You are holy, set apart, and You are something special. “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.” You see, when you acknowledge God’s person, you must align yourself with God’s program. And that program is summed up in one word: kingdom. God calls us to pledge allegiance not just to a nation, but to but to His sovereign authority [His kingdom]. Just as we honor the American flag, we are called to celebrate and honor the flag of the Kingdom. I pledge my allegiance to the kingdom of God.

The word kingdom used here comes from the Greek word Basileia [Ba-sei-la-ya], which means “a rule,”  “an authority,” “a royal power,” or dominion.” When we use the word “kingdom,” Basileia [Ba-sei-la-ya], we are talking about the comprehensive rule of God over all of His creation. And so, to invoke the word “kingdom” is to acknowledge that God reigns supremely not just in heaven, but over history, nations, nature, and the human heart. When we pledge allegiance to the kingdom, we are submitting to God’s rule, values, and mission. It is not just a theological concept; it is a call to live under divine authority with loyalty and purpose. To talk about a kingdom means that you understand that your Father, who lives in heaven, sits as the ultimate ruler of His creation.

Psalm 103:19 reads this way. “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens.” This echoes the opening of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9: “Our Father, who is in heaven.” “And His sovereignty rules over all.” Your Father – Your daddy is in charge. Psalm 145:13 reads this way. “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” God rules over everything, and He rules without end. God’s dominion stretches across every generation, including this generation.

Look at 1 Chronicles 29 and listen to the words of David in verses 11 and 12. “Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion,” that is the kingdom. “Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.” “Your kingdom come.” God’s power is at work to strengthen those who seek Him.

SERMON EXPOSITION 2

Do you understand what you are declaring when you pray, “Your kingdom come”? You are speaking to a King whose kingdom overrules every other authority. [Watch this] When you touch heaven in prayer, you are not approaching some powerless throne that can’t help you. You are coming before the One and true God who sits as sovereign ruler over all. Here is the first principle of God’s kingdom: You cannot hallow God’s name if you are unwilling to serve His kingdom. Let me say that again: Don’t tell me, and more importantly, don’t tell God—“My Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name,” and then you pivot to “now let’s talk about my agenda. Let’s talk about my program.” That is not how the prayer goes.

Jesus says, “Pray, then, in this way.” “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.” Not my kingdom. Not my agenda. Not my program. But God’s kingdom and His program. You are going to be faced with a decision day by day in your Christian life: Whose kingdom will you follow? Whose kingdom will you serve? The Lord Jesus says, “When you pray, pray ‘Your kingdom come.’” You see, when you stand face-to-face with God’s person, He will unveil His program. And God’s program is always tied [Watch This] to His kingdom.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION: “THE KINGDOM AND THE KING”

Now, the kingdom of God is in heaven because it operates from heaven, just like Washington D.C. governs the United States from the Capitol Hill, the seat of authority. Heaven is the seat of divine authority, and that is why prayer is so essential in the life of a Christian. Prayer matters because it is heaven that informs earth. It is not earth telling heaven what to do—it is heaven directing the affairs of earth.

Since God is the King, and since the center of His reign is in heaven—“Our Father who is in heaven”—then God’s kingdom originates from heaven to shape what happens here on earth. One realm governs the other. The spiritual realm informs the physical realm. But here is the problem: a lot of folks want the benefits of the kingdom without submitting to the rulership of the King. They want the blessings, the breakthroughs, the favor—but they don’t want the authority. They say, “Lord, show me Your kingdom purpose for my life,” “Lord, show me Your kingdom purpose for my ministry,” but what they really mean is, “Show me the program, and not the Person.”

It is like some of our young people – our growing sons and daughters. “Just give me the money, Dad. Just give me the money, Mom. I don’t want the lecture. I don’t want the rules. I don’t want the relationship. Just give me the stuff.” They want the provision without the presence. They want the program without the parent. And this exposes a weakness in how we approach God today, where we hear a lot of people saying, “Bless me, bless me,” as if God created us to bless us. No, truth be told, God created us to bless Him. And it is out of blessing God that we receive blessing. God is not in the business of just buying us new cars, new houses, new clothes, and giving us new jobs. There is nothing wrong with that, but remember, you don’t get to say “Give us this day our daily bread” until you have first prayed “Your kingdom come.” You have to get the prayer in order.  “Your kingdom come.” Why? Because God rules over a universal kingdom.

When you pray, “Your kingdom come,” you are speaking to the One who rules over all. Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” The Bible is full of moments where God flips the script. God steps into situations that look final, and He rewrites the ending. God overrules defeats, delays, and detours. Guess what, when you pray “Your kingdom come,” you are inviting the rule of heaven to interrupt the chaos that is taking place here on earth.

SERMON EXPOSITION 3

Far too many people today want to know “What is God’s plan for my life?” But they have never submitted or surrendered to God’s principles. They want divine direction without divine alignment. The truth is that God didn’t create the universe to be a cosmic vending machine or a Jack-in-the-box. [Watch This] God created all things for Himself, for His glory, and according to His will. The source of God’s kingdom is spiritual. Let’s look at John 18: Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate in a moment of profound significance. Pilate asks Jesus in verse 33, “Are You the King of the Jews?” This is a direct question with no ambiguity. Some say Jesus is a King.

Others say Jesus is trying to be a King. Pilate wants clarity, and he wants to know for sure if Jesus is the King of the Jews. Jesus says in verse 36, Watch this, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm [world].” This is important because Jesus is revealing the source of His authority. His kingdom doesn’t originate from earthly systems. It is sourced in another realm. While it operates within this world, it is not of this world. God’s kingdom is comprehensive. It touches everything, influences everything, governs everything, but its power flows from a spiritual realm beyond human control.

That raises a question. What is this other realm or world that Jesus is talking about? The Spiritual realm, and that is why prayer is so essential, because prayer transports you to another realm. Prayer takes you out of the realm of the five senses and puts you in the realm of the sixth sense. Prayer puts you in the realm of the unseen and the unheard. [Watch This] Prayer puts you in the realm of the things that are outside of time and space.

The Bible says in Daniel 4:26 “……your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.” Interpretation – heaven rules the earth. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says that we look on unseen things, we don’t look on seen things. Prayer is taking a look into the unseen realm, and God has hardwired the universe that when the current of prayer flows, it flows from the unseen realm to the seen realm. And if we really believe that, we would pray more. It is because we don’t believe it, so we pray less. “Your kingdom come.”

And that is the heart of the kingdom concept. Now let’s talk about the call of the kingdom. Remember the phrase: “Your kingdom come.” God is calling for His kingdom to break in. God is saying, “Come on, come on, come—I want you, I want you.” So, what does it mean to pray “Your kingdom come”? The kingdom of heaven is the comprehensive rule of God over all things. And so when we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are saying, “Lord, I want the invisible kingdom I am engaging with in prayer to become the visible kingdom I experience in my life.”

We are asking God to move from the unseen realm into the seen realm. To manifest His rule not just in eternity, but in real time. In our bodies. In our relationships. In our circumstances. We are asking God to make His presence tangible to show up in ways our five senses can recognize. That is what glory is. Glory is God made visible. So when we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are asking for God’s rule to be established among us and through us. We are inviting God to take charge of the order of affairs, starting inside of us, and then working outward into every sphere of life God has called us to influence and to touch.

Now, for the kingdom to manifest in our lives, God’s plan, His divine program, must become the preoccupation of our hearts. And this begins with conversion. When Jesus came to earth, He declared in Matthew 4:17, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In other words, the kingdom of heaven is here, and the only way to enter it is through repentance and a relationship with the King Himself.

Colossians 1:13 says: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” If you are a believer, you have gone through a divine transfer, and you are a part of God’s kingdom.  You have been moved out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of light. You are now part of God’s kingdom, called to live under God’s rule, reflect God’s glory, and advance God’s agenda.

SERMON EXPOSITION 4

The kingdom moves from conversion to commitment. I am not just converted, I am committed. I am consumed with the pursuit of divine purpose. I want God’s program to manifest in my life. That is why, when I pray “Your kingdom come,” I must also be ready to say “Your will be done.” We are asking God to make Himself manifest in our lives. We are saying, “Lord, I want to adjust myself to You.” You can’t experience God’s program for your life and be sitting on the fence. You can’t be a part-time Christian. You can’t just come to God when you want something for your kingdom. That is not “Your kingdom come.” You are praying, Your kingdom holds on till my kingdom needs You.” But that is not how Jesus taught us to pray. The prayer is clear: Your kingdom come. That means God’s rule, God’s reign, and God’s agenda—first, foremost, and always.

Which brings me to the final point I want to make: the communication of the kingdom. When you pray, “Your kingdom come,” you are communicating something profound. You are asking for movement. You are asking for manifestation. You are asking for the invisible kingdom to become visible in your experience. You want the concepts of the kingdom to be realized today. You want to see it unfold in history, in your life, and in your generation. So, what are you really communicating when you pray this? You are saying, “Lord, let Your power be seen. Let Your rule be felt. Let Your presence be known.” And the first thing you are asking to see is the power of the kingdom, the authority of God breaking into time, shaping circumstances, and transforming lives.

SERMON EXPOSITION 5

In Acts 1, the disciples wanted to know when Christ would return and establish His eternal kingdom, which is the ultimate fulfillment and answer to the prayer, “Your kingdom come.” Jesus responded in verse 7, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority.” In other words, it is not your job to figure out when I am coming back.  In verse 8, Jesus said, “But you shall receive power…” You may have to wait for Christ to return, but you don’t have to wait for the power. The power is already here. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

So, here is my question to you as we conclude today’s sermon. If every believer has the Holy Spirit and has access to the same power, why are so many Christians powerless if we have all this God power in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit? Why do some Christians experience deliverance, victory, and transformation while other Christians remain stuck in cycles of defeat? The difference lies in the posture of the heart. You see, one group of Christians is concerned about Your kingdom come. One group of Christians is pursuing the presence of the King, and the other group is pursuing their own agenda, plan, and program.

How did the early church experience the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1? They went to Jerusalem, and we are told that they entered into God’s presence. The best way to discover God’s plan for your life is not to plan it yourself and ask God to sprinkle a little blessing over it. The best way to experience the unfolding of God’s kingdom and the power of the Holy Spirit is to live in God’s presence. Because there is more power in God’s presence than in your plans. The power of God is available, and the early church experienced the power in God’s presence.

SERMON CONCLUSION  – INVITATION TO FAITH, COMMISSION TO ACTION, AND CALL TO THE ALTAR

When a soldier returns home from a battle, they don’t ask him what his favorite uniform was. They don’t ask the soldier, “Would you have preferred a different flag to fight under?” No, because that soldier didn’t fight for personal preference. He fought under the flag of his country. He represented something bigger than himself. He stood for a nation, a cause, and a kingdom.  And when the soldier returns, the nation honors him not because he fought for his own name, but because he gave himself for something greater. That is what it means to live for the kingdom of God. When you run this race, when you fight this fight, when you press toward the mark—it is not about your personal soundtrack, your spotlight, or your applause. It is about God’s glory. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”

God never forgets those who fight faithfully under His authority. He never overlooks those who boldly lift His standard in their lives. There is a celebration waiting for you not just on earth, but in heaven. And there is honor reserved for those who lived for God’s glory, who ran their race with God’s name on their hearts and His purpose in their steps. And when you stand before God, you will hear these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” God bless you.  

I invite you to come to the altar. Come with your questions. Come with your burdens. Come with your worship. Let’s stand together and praise our Father for His greatness and His glory, His power and His majesty.

CLOSING WORDS OF GRACE

Let us stand together and pray. Heavenly Father, You have taught us to pray not only with words, but with surrendered hearts. As we leave this gathering, may Your kingdom come through our obedience, and may Your will be done in every space we inhabit, our homes, our workplaces, and our communities. Let our lives reflect the power of prayer that aligns us with heaven’s agenda. Strengthen us to walk in faith, serve with joy, and live for Your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Intercessor, we pray. And all God’s people say—Amen.

You are dismissed. God bless you. We look forward to seeing you next week at 10:30 a.m.