Luke 17:20-21 [NLT] (Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”)
As Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He spoke these words as recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT), “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
I want us to focus on these six powerful words. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” In these simple six words of supplication, we are asking for God’s kingdom to come and be in our midst. To be truly sincere in this request, we must first be sure to understand for what it is we are truly asking. It seems like such a simple request, but in reality we’re asking for the strength to do His will. When we truly desire God’s kingdom to come we’re taking on a grave responsibility. We’re making a genuine commitment to be obedient and faithful workers in God’s kingdom. We’re agreeing to serve as priests and engage in the work of bringing God’s kingdom to earth. Through acts of obedience, we serve as catalysts for God’s kingdom entering into our midst. It’s as if we’re saying, “We’re with you, God. We want what you want. Your will is our will.” We are calling on the power of the Holy Spirit to come and consecrate us for effective service. We’ve chosen to put ourselves aside and get out of the way for God’s will to be done on earth. When we pray the words, “Thy kingdom come”, we’re in turn praying, “My kingdom go.” With those words, we’re placing God’s desires higher than ours and submitting to His will. It requires an attitude of humility on our part for God’s kingdom is to appear in our midst. God calls us to submit in obedience and to be His ambassadors of the heavenly kingdom. Peter calls us a royal priesthood – a holy nation. (1 Peter 2:9) We are called to be priests who live as citizens of Heaven here on this earth. When we pray, “Your will be done,” do we really mean what we say? Do we truly comprehend the power of this phrase when spoken with earnest commitment? The words, “Your will be done,” means you are willing to surrender control and let God rule your life. Ask yourself this very important question of commitment, “Am I truly willing to let go of everything in my life to follow God’s will?” Jesus spoke these submissive words of obedience on two occasions in scripture. The first occasion of course was in this scripture above when teaching His disciples to pray. Jesus also demonstrated total submission as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He was preparing Himself for the purpose of His coming…to suffer for the sins of the world. He humbled Himself to the point of death for us to have life and enjoy God’s kingdom on earth.
God ask nothing less of us…total surrender and full submission of our lives to Him. Sacrifices must be made…We must sacrifice our time, our money, our desires and our pride. It may require life changes on our part and may even require us to get out of our comfort zone. But it can be done if we submit and place our total trust in Lord. If we fully trust in God and surrender our lives to His will for our lives, we will be blessed. We will receive blessings we could never imagine and experience true spiritual growth. We will truly live a life of abundance as Jesus promises. Make no mistake in thinking all of life will be rosy and sweet. There will be bumps in the road. God does not promise the going will always be easy, but He does promise to always be with us. Remain faithful and follow God’s plan. We all make plans and set goals for our lives, but the question to ask is this: “Did I make my own plans and set my own goals before seeking God’s will for my life?”
Listen to God’s call in your life today and submit yourself to His will in your life. God will be glorified, His kingdom will come and those who humbly serve Him will be blessed. We are called to be obedient and faithful as we humbly pray these words, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”
Listen to these prayerful words of Psalm 25:1 & 4, “O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.” The psalmist offers a model prayer of faith and commitment to follow God’s plan for his life. It matters not how carefully we make plans for our lives, they are useless if we don’t first go to God to seek His will. The words of King Solomon in Proverbs 19:21 make this advertently clear, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”
An important truth we must understand today is when we are obedient to God’s word and faithfully follow His will for our lives; we are living In the Midst of God’s Kingdom.
When God’s will is done on earth as it is in Heaven, His kingdom is truly in our midst.
Whenever a seed is planted and takes root in a trusting heart, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a hungry mouth is fed or a tired soul receives rest, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a cry of loneliness is silenced by a word of comfort, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a church works hand in hand in service to others, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a lost soul is directed in the way of salvation, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a person breaks free from the bondage of sin, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever a sinner professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
When all evil, injustice, rebellion, and pain on earth is gone, God’s kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever we act in obedience as God’s servants, His kingdom is in our midst.
Whenever God is glorified and rules in the hearts of man, His kingdom is in our midst.
