“The Priority Prayer” (Part 4)

THE LORD’S PRAYER Sermon Series

“The Priority Prayer” (Part 4)

KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 6:10 (NASB)

Faithful God, we have praised You with our lips; now let us honor You with our listening. May Your Word go forth unhindered and Your will be done in this church. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. You may be seated.

THE LORD’S SUPPER – COMMUNION SERVICE

Let us turn to 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (NASB): “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Paul received this revelation directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bread Jesus said, “Take, eat: this is My body.” The bread represents Christ’s body. The Bible says, “That rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4), the bread symbolizes the suffering Servant, pierced for our transgressions. “This is My body, broken for you.”  We remember not just the death, but the Person: Jesus, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24), that we might live unto righteousness.

 The Cup Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” The blood is the symbol of a new covenant, replacing the old sacrifices with the perfect offering of Christ Jesus. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin” (Hebrews 9:22). This cup declares that mercy triumphed over judgment. It proclaims that we are washed, redeemed, and reclaimed by grace. “As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of Me.” This is a holy proclamation: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Why do we observe the Lord’s Supper? Paul says, “You proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” The Greek word katangello means to preach, to declare, and to announce. We proclaim Christ’s death, and we anticipate His return. “Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Let us pray. Gracious Father, we thank You for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for the redemption of humanity. As we gather at Your table, refresh our spirits with the joy of Your salvation and renew a steadfast heart within each of us. Bless this bread as a sacred memorial of Christ’s offering on the Cross. May it nourish our faith and deepen our gratitude. Bless this cup, a symbol of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. May it stir us to daily surrender and holy living. Thank You, Lord, for Your unfailing love, abundant mercy, and eternal promise. In Christ’s name we pray—Amen.

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, lifted in praise, and anchored in worship – as we give faithfully to Christ’s church.

PRAYER FOR TITHE and OFFERING

Lord Jesus, who gave all for us, receive these offerings as acts of devotion. May they be used to advance Your gospel, strengthen Your church, and bless Your people. We give with grateful hearts. 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 18. 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. Triune God, build Your church through the preaching of Your Word. Strengthen the weak, convict the wayward, encourage the weary, and equip the faithful. Let Your truth dwell richly among us. In the name of Christ, our cornerstone. Amen. You may be seated.

SERMON INTRODUCTION WITH STORY

Imagine walking into a grand concert hall where a choir is already singing in perfect harmony. You have been invited to join the choir, but you don’t walk in and start singing your own tune, at your own tempo, and in your own key. That would create chaos. Instead, you listen first. And then, you find the rhythm, the pitch, and the flow. You adjust your voice to match the choir’s voice. You blend in—not to lose your identity, but to contribute to something greater than yourself and bigger. The beauty of the music depends on your willingness to align with the harmony. That is what it means to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” When we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are not asking God to adjust to our tempo; we are learning to harmonize with God.

SERMON EXPOSITION 1

The next principle in this prayer that the Lord Jesus gave His disciples is the Priority of Prayer. In Matthew 6:10, after teaching them to pray “Your kingdom come,” Jesus continues, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If you are going to fulfill God’s program, you must surrender to God’s priority, and God’s priority is always His will. So, when we pray, “Your will be done,” we are not asking God to slow down or shift direction to accommodate our plans and programs. We are asking, “God, what are You already doing and how can I align with it?” It is not about getting heaven to reflect the desires of earth; it is about shaping earth to reflect the will of heaven. You see, God is already singing. The question before us—laid on the floor of our hearts—is this: will you join the harmony? When we speak of God’s will, we are talking about what God desires, when He desires it, and how He desires it. That presents a profound struggle because most people are far more concerned with their own will.

Far too often, our prayers sound like this: “Lord, here is what I have decided to do; will You please bless it?” In other words, we are asking God to approve our agenda and priorities. Our focus in prayer centers on how it works rather than what it is for. As pragmatic thinkers, we tend to treat prayer as a tool, a means to an end and that end is often self-serving. Instead of approaching prayer as communion with God, we reduce prayer to a transaction designed to fulfill our desires, and in doing so, we miss the intimacy and the transformation.

Jesus Christ says, “Listen. Do you know why there is emptiness in your life? Because you don’t know how to pray.” The Lord’s Prayer begins with, “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come,” and now, “Your will be done.” [Watch This] The focus is entirely on God, His name, His kingdom, and His will. This matter of God’s will runs deep. Some who have wrestled with the idea of God’s desire, God’s design, God’s plan, and God’s priority have found themselves frustrated. So what do we mean when we talk about God’s will or God’s purposes? We mean exactly this: what God wants, when He wants it, and how He wants it. That is the will of God.

I want to speak to you about what I would describe as three key aspects of the will of God. The first is what we will refer to as God’s comprehensive will. By God’s comprehensive will, we mean that absolutely nothing that is no event, no circumstance, no decision ever catches God by surprise. Don’t miss that. There is no such thing as “God, did You see that?” God is never startled, never reactive, and never uninformed. Everything that unfolds in time and history does so under the sovereign oversight of God’s eternal plan. Every detail, seen and unseen, operates within the framework of God’s cosmic design and His comprehensive program. This is the will of God: all-encompassing, all-knowing, and perfectly ordered according to God’s divine purpose.

SERMON EXPOSITION 2

Isaiah 14:24 lets us know that nothing catches God by surprise. Every event is under God’s control, and that is because God is sovereign over the universe. God’s will prevails.  God’s will is unchallenged. And God’s will is unshaken. No surprises, and that is God’s comprehensive will. No chance, and no Christian should use the word ‘luck’ or ‘chance’ as part of their vocabulary. There are no chances in God’s economy. There are no mistakes because God’s will is comprehensive.

The second aspect of God’s will is that it is compassionate. God’s will is not only comprehensive but also deeply compassionate. What do we mean by God’s will is compassionate? When we speak of God’s compassionate will, we acknowledge that there are times when God desires what does not come to pass. In God’s mercy and love, God longs for repentance, restoration, and righteousness, but in the mystery of human freedom and divine patience, those desires are not always fulfilled. This aspect of God’s will reflects His heart, even when it does not reflect the outcome.

For example, God desires that all people be saved, as stated in 2 Peter 3:9. But we know that not everyone will be saved. It remains true today that not everyone will come to salvation. In Colossians 1:28, God desires that every believer walk in spiritual maturity. But not every Christian chooses to live a spiritually mature life. God’s desire that every person be presented complete in Christ means that spiritual growth requires cooperation with grace, obedience to truth, and a submissive heart. Some Christians will resist the process, while others will embrace it. But God’s goal remains full maturity in Christ Jesus for every believer.

In Luke 13:34, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were unwilling!” And so, when we speak of God’s compassionate will, we are talking about the reality that God desires certain outcomes that do not always take place. Why? Because, in God’s compassionate will, He allows us to make choices. God may desire one path, but He has not made us to be robots. God has made us volitional beings. We can choose God’s way or reject God’s way. Let me tell you how the compassionate will connects to the comprehensive will of God. In God’s compassionate will, God expresses His desire, and you choose not to follow it; that never disrupts God’s comprehensive will. Your choices may affect you, but they never interfere with God. In other words, your decisions may bless you or burden you or curse you, but they do not interfere with God’s ultimate plan. God’s comprehensive will remains intact, unshaken, and sovereign.

The third aspect of God’s will is God’s command will. These are the specific instructions that God primarily gives to believers so that we might fully experience the blessings and benefits of God’s divine program in our lives. God’s commands align us with His direction and position us to walk in step with where God intends to take us. You will never stop God’s program. You will never stop God’s agenda. God’s comprehensive plan always marches forward and remains unhindered. But you can hinder your enjoyment of that program.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION: “GOD’S COMPREHENSIVE WILL ALWAYS REACHES ITS DESTINATION”

Let me give you an illustration of what I mean. Let’s say I am heading to Downtown Cleveland tonight. And if I am leaving from our church in Elyria, that means I will get on I-90 East, which will take me straight into the city because my goal is to get downtown Cleveland. That is my ultimate goal – to get downtown Cleveland. But let’s say that as I am making my way to downtown Cleveland, there is construction, traffic, or even an accident that blocks my preferred route. Now, I could sit in my car frustrated, but I am not going to do that. I am going to reroute. I might exit at Lorain Road, cut through Lakewood, and take Detroit Avenue all the way in. That will still get me downtown Cleveland. And if Detroit Avenue is backed up too, I will swing over to Clifton Boulevard, cross the Shoreway, and come in through the West 25th Street corridor. One way or another, I am getting to my destination.

The accident may have interfered with my preferred route, but it did not interfere with my goal. I may have had to adjust my path, but my destination remains the same. That is how God’s comprehensive will works. God’s comprehensive will means when He is going downtown, He is going to get downtown. When God sets His purpose and determines to accomplish something, He will reach that goal. Detours don’t derail God. Delays don’t defeat God. Resistance doesn’t reverse God. God may take a different route, but He always arrives at His destination.

SERMON EXPOSITION 3

If human beings or even the devil himself try to block God’s plan from reaching God’s goal, let me assure you: God is never confined to one highway. God is not restricted to a one-way street. And that is good news about the will of God. It means people can’t stop it. The devil can’t derail it. And when Satan shows up while you are trying your best to live for God and His Son, Jesus Christ, trying to please God, and you wonder, “What happens if the enemy blocks my path?” Just remember this: God has another direction. God has another plan.

All Satan ever created was a detour—but God has more than one highway. That is why you never have to be intimidated by what people do to interfere with your journey. You may say, “I thought God had this for me.” Trust me: if God truly ordained it, and you are walking in obedience to God’s command, no one else can claim what has been assigned to you.

Romans 12:1–2 says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice…………. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and……………. perfect.” The word “perfect” speaks to the unstoppable nature of God’s will. So, when you say, “Thy will be done,” you are not just surrendering; you are stepping into divine direction. You are saying, “Lord, take me where You want me to go. And if something gets in the way, show me which detour still leads to my destiny.”

God’s will is awesome and perfect in every detail. Both 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30 declare, “As for God, His way is perfect.” That means whenever your will comes into conflict with God’s will, the choice is clear: you align with God. Why? Because all you see is what is in front of you. But God sees everything. He sees the past, present, future, visible, and invisible. So, the real question becomes: who has the better eyesight? The answer is obvious. God’s way is perfect because He sees what you cannot see. This is why we pray, “Thy will be done.” We are not just surrendering; we are acknowledging that God has already taken into account the unseen variables. So we say, “Lord, here is what I believe: You are leading me to do today. These are my plans. But not my will, let Your will be done.”

SERMON EXPOSITION 4

The very fact that we must pray “Thy will be done” reveals a fundamental conflict: You see, our will often stands in opposition to God’s will. And this tension began with Satan’s rebellion in Isaiah 14, where he declared “I will” five times, rejecting God’s authority and choosing self-rule. “I will ascend to heaven.” “I will raise my throne above the stars of God.” “I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly.” “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds.” “I will make myself like the Most High.” These were the words of Satan. That same spirit of defiance infected a third of the angels in heaven and later affected Adam and Eve, who chose their own desires over God’s command. And so, every believer faces the daily battle between submitting to God’s perfect will and following their own will. If you have never wrestled with that tension, you are likely not walking in the Spirit, because true discipleship involves surrendering personal preference to divine authority.

This conflict is rooted in trust. We often hesitate to submit to God because we are not fully convinced He knows what He is doing in our lives. We can quote Scripture and sing songs about God’s perfection, but when real decisions arise, we are tempted by what feels good, looks appealing, or seems easier. Satan reveals the consequences of choosing his will, and he lets you discover them the hard way. But God alone can answer the “what if” questions that haunt us. So, the issue is not just about obedience; it is about trust. Do we trust God enough to merge our will into God’s will, believing that His way is not only better, but perfect? That is why we pray, “Thy will be done.”

SERMON EXPOSITION 5

When we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are asking that earth mirror heaven’s obedience. [Watch This] In heaven, God’s will is carried out immediately, completely, and without resistance. Let me summarize how God’s will in heaven is done quickly. Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6 of the Book of Isaiah reveals angelic beings with six wings, two covering their faces, two their feet, and two for swift movement, ready to respond. You see, there is no debate in heaven. The only being who ever challenged God’s will was cast out of heaven.

Isaiah, upon witnessing heaven’s order, cried, “Woe is me,” recognizing how slow and conflicted we often are in obeying God’s will. Even Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, wrestled with the weight of divine assignment. Jesus prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,” acknowledging the pain of obedience. But Jesus followed with, “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done,” trusting God’s perfect wisdom. And so, prayer is not a tool to get our will done in heaven; it is the means by which God’s will is done on earth. It is like coordinators in a football booth who see the entire field; God sees what we cannot see. So, we pray, “Thy will be done,” because God alone has the full view and we trust Him to call the plays. I submit to your will down here because I can’t see everything up there in heaven.

How does this truth translate into our everyday prayer life? It means you can’t ask God to bless anything that dishonors His name, delays His kingdom, or disrupts His will. You can’t pray, “Our Father who art in heaven,” and then ask God to bless something that is going to mess up His reputation. You can’t say, “Thy kingdom come,” while pushing your own agenda. You can’t say, “Thy will be done,” and then ask God to bless what you know goes against God’s will. Psalm 103:20 says the angels “perform His word.” The angels do God’s will because heaven is aligned. So, when we pray, we are not just making requests; we are joining heaven’s program.

Most of us come to God saying, “Bless me this, bless me that.” But kingdom prayer starts with: “Lord, show me Your program so I can walk in Your will.” And here is the payoff: [Watch This] once you prioritize God’s name, God’s kingdom, and His will, [Guess What] then you get to ask for your daily bread, forgiveness, and protection. When you do God’s will, He provides everything you need to fulfill what He has called you to do.

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

As we close, let me paint a picture for you. In the fight against drunk driving, they say: if you have been drinking, don’t drive—give your keys to someone sober. Why? Because your senses are impaired. Well, this world has intoxicated us—with pride, with greed, with compromise, and with confusion. We have been drinking in the lies of culture, the distractions of comfort, and the seduction of self. We have been drifting from the path of righteousness. God says, Give Me the keys to your life, and let Me take you to your Promised Land.

Right now, everything you hear and see in this large room is being controlled from above: sound, lights, and cameras. You benefit from what is happening up there because someone up there knows what people down here don’t know. If I took you to the media room upstairs, you wouldn’t know what to touch. But the media team is trained to operate the mixer board; they know exactly what button to press and when to do so. God knows exactly how the button works. He knows what to press, when to press it, and why. God is in the control room of your life. You may not see God, but He is directing what you hear, what you see, and what you need. God has been doing this for a very long time.

So when you pray, pray “Thy kingdom come”—God’s program. “Thy will be done”—God’s plan. And when you glorify God’s name, serve His kingdom, and submit to God’s will, then you can say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Because God loves to provide for those who are committed to His purpose, now is the time to trust God. Give God the keys. Let God drive.” God bless you.  Come to the altar. Lay down your plans. Lift up your hands. Submit to God’s will and watch Him move.

CLOSING WORDS OF GRACE

Let us stand together and pray. Sovereign God, You have taught us to seek Your kingdom above all and to surrender to Your will with trust and obedience. As we go, may our lives echo heaven’s priorities marked by grace, justice, and love. Let Your will be done through us, and may Your kingdom be seen in every step we take. 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.