Thy kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
If you were to look up the word kingdom in a dictionary, you would see it defined as a monarchical state such as the United Kingdom or the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; or a territory that is subject to a king/queen; or the spiritual reign of God. If you were to look up the word in a Bible concordance, you would see there are approximately one hundred and fifty five references listed in the New Testament, approximately one hundred and seven of which were mentioned by Jesus himself.
The kingdom of God is a key theme in the Gospels, and Jesus highlights its importance, not only in his teaching, but also by including it in this prayer. The kingdom of God is not geographical, temporal or spatial. It is a gift we receive and enter into. It is not imposed upon us. We are encouraged to release and relinquish our rule/control/will and invited to ask the Father to give us his. When we seek his kingdom and surrender our ways and wills to him, we can then become co-heirs with Christ. Where his rule is accepted, his kingdom comes.
Take a few minutes to let go of the things that are on your mind – cares, concerns, and anxious thoughts. Then pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you read Matthew chapter 13.
In this chapter Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to:
- a man who sowed good seed in his field (v. 24)
- to a mustard seed (v. 31)
- to yeast (v. 33)
- to treasure hidden in a field (v. 44)
- to a merchant looking for pearls (v. 45)
- to a net (v.47)
- Choose one (or more, if time permits) of the parables and ponder on what it means for you today.
- What does the kingdom heaven mean to you? How has your understanding of the kingdom of heaven changed over the course of your journey of faith?
- How do you respond to the notion of God ruling over your life? Do you like the rule/reign of God in your life?
- Pray for opportunities to share the good news of the kingdom of God in the coming week. Pray that you will recognise them when they arise and that God will give you his words to say in them.