Tag Archives: Your will be done

HELP ME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS – 2

Prayer, ,

To continue our  question…”What is prayer?”

Since Jesus was in constant contact with His Heavenly Father through prayer, of all people, He is most qualified to teach us about prayer. 

First, He is our teacher by example. 

When we work our way through John’s gospel, Jesus and the Father surface in such close partnership that Jesus said or did nothing without first hearing from the Father. 

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Does this mean that even every word He uttered was the word of the Father? Was He relaying the Father’s words from heaven to earth to bring about God’s will on earth? By being in constant contact with the Father in prayer, He was staying connected to “headquarters” from where He received His instructions. 

Jesus taught His disciples to pray…

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

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How do we apply this example to our praying? I think the answer is simple. Let’s connect the dots. God has equipped us with a plethora of promises that express His intention. Whatever the need, there is either an equivalent promise or a pattern that expresses God’s will. 

Two Scriptures clearly declare this truth. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises so that, through them, you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, first, God’s promises are His provision for our daily walk which clarify His will in detail, and were given to empower us to overcome our old sinful nature so that we became ever increasingly conformed to the image of His Son. 

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Second, Jesus has endorsed every promise for us. We, therefore, in partnership with Him, affirm His promises as and where they apply, so that earth joins heaven in bringing about God’s intention. 

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Third, the two ingredients in this process of bringing God’s will to earth are faith and patience. The first of these two requirements take up part of the answer to my next question… “What is faith?”

Let’s fast forward to my encounter with “authority” that will shed light on “faith”. 

To be concluded…

HELP ME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS -3

The story that follows Jesus’ transfiguration, the disciples’ failure to dislodge a demon, poses the question, “What is authority”? 

“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus had just had an altercation with His disciples. While He and His three closest companions were up the mountain, the other nine were tussling with a stubborn and rather nasty demon. On His return, He soundly rebuked the nine disciples for their unbelief. 

In a quieter moment, they asked Jesus why they had failed to budge the demon. His reply was mystifying unless we begin to dig deeper. 

In our modern context, I think the “deliverance ministry” is badly misunderstood. It is, therefore, misapplied, by “taking authority” over demons and ordering them to go, even if they are not demons but manifestations of “the flesh”, such as anger, rage, jealousy, etc. 

Jesus did not tell us to take authority over anything simply by speaking it. Demons take no notice of such foolishness. Having authority comes from something far deeper. 

Jesus claimed to have authority but how and where did He derive it? He said, “By prayer!”

Now let’s check out a story that clearly teaches us the source of authority and by association, the meaning of faith. 

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This story is loaded with information about authority and faith. Did you notice how Jesus connected the centurion’s source of authority with his faith? Let’s unpack it. 

“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 

The centurion’s authority was derived from his submission to higher authority. This kind of authority demands humility. His role was never to act presumptuously or independently of his superior authority. His role was simply to relay instructions, trusting that his word would be obeyed because of the authority under which he spoke. If his underlings trusted the source of his authority, they would obey him. 

The centurion recognised Jesus’ authority under God by the results of His words. So, he declared his faith by saying, “Just say the word…”

What a simple explanation of the meaning and purpose of prayer! Prayer is first, settling the issue of authority. Who is in charge? When I, in prayer, surrender myself to the absolute authority of Jesus, when I listen to Him instead of babbling about myself, I recognise and authenticate my partnership with Him. 

An incident in King David’s life perfectly illustrates this principle. David was determined to build a temple for God. He expressed his desire to the prophet Nathan who encouraged him to carry out his plan. That night, God spoke to Nathan. David was a man of war. God did not assign to him the task of building the temple. His son, Solomon, would have that honour.

Instead, God made David a promise…He would build a house for him, a dynasty that would never end. Unlike the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, who were wicked and whose dynasties were repeatedly cut off,  David’s descendants would reign in one continuous dynasty that would culminate in the eternal reign of Messiah…the son of David. 

David was overwhelmed by this promise. He went into his sanctuary to commune with God,  first expressing his unworthiness for such a great destiny and then worshiping the Lord. 

“ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ” Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ….“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬, ‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In his words, “Do as you have promised”, David relayed to earth what God had spoken in heaven. 

The Apostle Paul also reiterated the same thought…

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now let’s connect all the dots, the process of prayer as Jesus lived it and taught His disciples…

  1. Listen to Him. Jesus takes centre stage in everything. 
  2. Through prayer, we establish and affirm our submission to Jesus as Lord, our Supreme Authority. 
  3. When He gives an appropriate promise or instruction regarding an issue in earth, we are to relay heaven’s will to earth by speaking His word by faith. 
  4. By His authority through us, His will is carried out on earth as it is done in heaven. 
  5. God’s word guarantees that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

Finally, the guarantee…

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God will always do what He says!

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS…GOD’S WILL ON EARTH – 6a

Bible Study, ,

How does God implement His rule in earth? We understand that He is sovereign and that He always does what He has predetermined. We also know that He rules in and through His chosen people. This is a mystery! 

Before God created the universe, His plan was to draw His human creation into partnership with Him. He created mankind in His image and gave humans the mandate to rule over the natural world. Despite every attempt of ungodly people to deny this truth, the Bible declares…

“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Humans are the unique creation of God, separate and different from the animal world, able to connect with Him through His Spirit and through prayer, and created to rule with Him over the earth. 

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels (that is, “Elohim”…God), and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Not only that but God also tells us what He plans to do … for example…

“Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” …Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” …Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18‬:‭17, 20‬-‭21‬, ‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? … Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

‭‭Amos‬ ‭3‬:3, 7 NIV

The mystery deepens!

As we have already discovered, God always works through His Word. He created the universe by His spoken word. He sent Jesus, His Word in person, to complete His communication to the world.  

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is through His word and most often, in prayer…the way we connect with God, through our spirits and His Spirit…that He makes His mind and His will known to us. He has spoken to us through Jesus and He continues to speak to us through His written Word. 

Prayer, then, is not primarily about our telling God about our “stuff” and getting him to do something about it. When we do this, we have dragged prayer down to the level of the pagans! Prayer is about God sharing His secrets with us. Let that sink in!

“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God has included everything about the relationship between Himself and us in a legally binding covenant, which Jesus, His Son, signed in His own blood. Included in that covenant is the partnership that we have with Him and through which He carries out His will on earth. 

In a simple sentence, in a few words, Jesus ratified that mandate. 

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

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In this model prayer, God shows us His way of including His people in the administration of His kingdom and will on earth. Once again, as I have already stated, God always works through His word. His Word expresses His intention and forms the bridge between heaven’s will and His power to way accomplish His will on earth. We speak His Word and He works according to His Word. Again, it’s as simple as that!

To be continued…

WHAT CAN GOD DO IN SOUTH AFRICA? – 4

Christian Life, ,

THERE’S A HOLE IN THE JUGGERNAUGHT!

Several months ago, God showed me in a mental picture, a huge ship sailing on a stormy sea. As I watched, the Word that came to me was, “The juggernaught is turning around.”

The word “juggernaught” means “an unstoppable force”.

Only days afterwards, as I sought confirmation of this message, I read an article in a credible publication that reported on a speech our president made at a SACP conference. In his speech, he proposed building a second Eskom as a solution to the electricity problem! In his speech, one of the speakers referred to the government as “the ship of state”! I was stunned! That’s exactly what God had called the government of South Africa…a seemingly unstoppable ship of state!

In the months since that message, the picture is becoming clearer. After the elections in May last year, the ruling party lost its majority and had to resort to a coalition givernment to retain some of its power. The juggernaught began to turn around! At first, the ruling party bulldozed old bills through, passed by the old parliament without consulting coalition partners.

However, since then, the juggernaut is not only turning around. It has also has developed a hole. One of its own spokesmen has declared that the ship is sinking. Through the leaders’ stubborn and foolish decisions and actions, our country is being isolated from its historical allies by aligning itself with countries supporting terrorism and insane socialist Ideologies. There is also mounting internal disillusionment and dissatisfaction as the infrastructure crumbles.

AND THE WORLD IS Watching! The eyes of the world are focused on this little country and its conflict with the USA.

Shortly after a conversation with my son, in which I said that our leaders need a prophetic word from God, two prophecies came to light. One prophecy, spoken three years ago, clearly predicts judgment on our president because of the wickedness of his government especially in relation to the ongoing looting of the countriy’s resources and the oppression of the poor.

The second prophecy, spoken to the ANC during a parliamentary session, by the leader of a party with Christian values, declared that the ANC is under God’s curse because they have cursed Israel.

It seems that crux of the antagonism of the USA against South Africa is the case against Israel, taken to the International Court of Justice (the ICJ). Rumours of South Africa’s knowledge of the attack on Israel on October 7, and of Iran’s funding of the ICJ case against Israel are persistently surfacing.

All this evidence against South Africa, especially exposing the wicked intentions of its leaders, is pointing towards God’s involvement with our country in line with His pattern of judgment on Egypt and on Ahab in the Old Testament records I have already outlined in two previous posts. Our president’s stubborn refusal not only to change the laws that are strangling our economy but actually increasing their severity, mirrors the stubbornness of Pharaoh to let God’s people go.

Despite the warnings of international bodies and the pleas of coalition members, the attitude of our president is entrenching the purpose of the ruling party to drag our country into utter ruin. Is this the same way in which God judged Egypt and King Ahab, by giving them what they wanted?

How can we pray for our country?

Since our role as God’s church is to partner with Him in prayer in what He is doing, since Jesus is working, in all things, for His church, and since God’s will is for us to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness, we can pray two simple prayers, in line with God’s Word…

Matthew 6:9-10 NIV
[9] “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ “

And, after the prophet Nathan’s prophecy to David that God would build him an everlasting dynasty…

2 Samuel 7:18-21, 25-26 NIV
[18]”Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? [19] And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human! [20] What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. [21] For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant…
[25] “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. DO AS YOU PROMISED, [26] so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.”

God will destroy the gods of South Africa as He did the gods of Egypt. He will not tolerate rivals…

God will glorify His name by destroying the wicked who rule over us as He did Pharaoh and his army…

And, God will reveal His glory to the whole world as the world watches to see what happens in our land.

Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
[14]”For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

So, let’s not jump ship as many people are doing. Let’s stay faithful to the Lord and His plans. His pattern in Scripture is clear. He will rescue our land from the evil leaders who are enslaving us to socialism. He will destroy them and the gods they worship. He will show the world that He reigns in our nation and glorify His name in His righteousness and justice.

Psalms 37:1-11 NIV
[1] “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; [2] for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. [3] Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. [4] Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: [6] He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. [7] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. [8] Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. [9] For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. [10] A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. [11] But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

THE WILL OF GOD, WHAT IS IT?

Christian Life, ,

We all want to do God’s will. We talk about the will of God for our lives, but we often struggle to know what His will for us is. We perhaps think that God’s will has to do with where we live, what we do, who we marry etc. It can and it does, but these are all details and peripheral to the perfect will of God. In His Word, God’s will has more to do with who we are and how we live than the “where” and “what” details in which we do His will.

Is God’s will the same for everyone or does His will differ from person to person? Let’s see what the Bible says.

Living according to God’s will or not, first, has eternal significance, according to John. He said that loving this world cancels out loving God. If we love the world and follow its dictates, everything we run after is transient. It will disappear. Only those who love God and do His will, will live eternally.

1 John 2:15-17 NLT
[15] “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

My second consideration, then, is…do I want to do God’s will? If so, then I must cut ties with the world and its ways. The culture and practices of the world must never intrude into the way my faith in Jesus directs my life. I cannot serve two masters. I must choose my master and stick with my choice.

God’s perfect will is always done in His realm where His angelic hosts live in perfect union with Him, obedience to Him, and in harmony with one another. They have specific roles in His kingdom which they fulfil without question.

Psalms 103:21 NLT
[21] “Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!”

So, Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God’s will be done in this realm, on earth, just as perfectly as it is done in heaven.

Matthew 6:9-10 NIV
[9] “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

We know that His will is good, acceptable and perfect. We enter this awareness through our willingness to entrust ourselves entirely to Him, body, soul, and spirit, because of His mercy to us.

Romans 12:1-2 NIV
[1] “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Only as we entrust our lives to God and learn to think like He thinks, do we realise that what He wants for us is the best.

Once we have accepted that God’s will is always the best for us, regardless of what it is, thirdly, we are ready to carry out His requirements because we know He is sovereign and directs our lives towards His goal.

Let’s examine one of His clear directives.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
[18] “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

This instruction teaches us that God wants us to pay attention to our hearts. When stuff happens, good or bad, we must decide who is responsible and what our attitude to our circumstances must be. If we are convinced that God supervises every detail of our lives, we can thank Him even in the difficult times because He has a plan. A thankful heart is one that trusts Him even in the dark because He is good and He knows where He is taking us.

There are many references but few specifics in Scripture relating to God’s will. We must deduce the details from His character and requirements. The best way to find out what He wants is to examine His commandments and His promises.

If God tells us to do something, it must be His will. In the Old Covenant, He gave detailed instructions to His people, 613 of them, to teach His people about His holiness, and their utter inability to satisfy His holy standards by their own efforts.

Romans 3:20 NLT
[20] “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

Most of the time, they gave up on trying and went their own way with terrible consequences. God did not change His standards to meet them half way. He cannot, because He is God.

Instead, He sent Jesus, His Son, to pay for their failure, to restore them to His family as sons and daughters, and to provide help in the person of His Holy Spirit. He reduced all His 613 laws to two simple instructions that cover everything in principle that His Old Covenant laws had given them in detail.

1 John 3:21-24 NIV
[21] “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

This is God’s will for His redeemed children in a nutshell. His will is expressed in two simple commandments and made do-able through His Spirit.

Believe in the name of His Son…faith in Jesus, entrusting ourselves uncondionally to Him, takes care of our past present and future. We give Him absolute allegiance and no longer go our own way. We lean all our weight on Jesus.

Love one another…living our lives by working out our faith in Jesus in the way we treat one another through the Holy Spirit, “Christ in us”. He wants us to show who owns us by the way we treat each other.

Not only does God tell us what He wants, He also provides the means by which we can do what He wants.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
[3] “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

God’s promises are a declaration of what He intends to do in us, so that we know where He is going when we hit rough patches. His destiny for us is nothing less than to perfectly resemble His Son.

Romans 8:28-30 NIV
[28]”And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

God’s will is all about becoming like Jesus…and, from God’s perspective, it’s already done.

So, in actual fact, although we are the players in this game of life, God is the one who acts for us and in us to move us towards His goal. For example,

Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV
[4] “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…”

Philippians 2:12-13 NIV
[12] “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

This is the marvel and mystery of God’s will. He not only tells us what He wants us to do, but He also does it in us as we obey His Word and trust His Spirit who works in us.

Ephesians 1:11 NLT
[11]”Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”

How wonderful is our God! He not only wants us to do His will and tells us what He wants but He also gave us His promises through which He does His will in and through us as we choose to obey Him. This is His guarantee that He will carry out His will on earth just as it is done in heaven.

So, although He directs us to where we should live, what we should do, who we should marry etc., in all these details He is using our circumstances to conform us to character of Jesus.

YOUR KINGDOM COME – MAKE “UP THERE” COME “DOWN HERE”

Christian Life, ,

YOUR KINGDOM COME – MAKE “UP THERE” COME “DOWN HERE”

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

Somehow in the process of trying to understand Jesus and what He came to do, this part of His prayer has either been neglected or twisted so that we think it is only about the life to come. This prayer is not a vague hope for the future as much as it is a desire to be part of the future. In the unseen realm of the spirit, God governs perfectly. His will, which is the expression of who He is, is perfectly done, which means that there is nothing broken, or imperfect where He rules. Only here on earth, where sin has disrupted the perfection of God’s rule, is there need for restoration and renewal.

It is God’s design for us who are representatives of His kingdom on earth, to put His rule in place wherever we are as a foretaste of how His kingdom will ultimately replace all the corrupted kingdoms of this world.

God appointed Jesus to rule as king – Psalm 2:6 – “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill...” but He rules through us by His Spirit who lives in us.      

In Matthew 5, Jesus has already explained how His kingdom works in the ungodly world system. As kingdom people, we are not to conduct our lives the way the people in the world do. We are to live generously towards other people, treating them with love and mercy, not reacting but responding as our heavenly Father would respond. To be able to do this, we need God’s grace which He freely gives us as we choose to obey Him.

This request is another piece in the puzzle about prayer. Prayer is not about us as much as it is about our part in the bigger picture of God’s kingdom – Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” As we put the pieces together, we are beginning to see that prayer is about God’s re-establishing His rule on earth through His people. He does not act independently of us, His vice-regents, but we, in turn, must not rule independently of Him.

As we spend time in God’s presence, gazing at Him and listening to Him, we become aware of His love, mercy, and grace that touched and changed our lives and of His passion to touch others through us. Instead of acting and reacting out of selfishness and greed like the world does, He wants us to imitate the way Jesus responded to people in need, with mercy, compassion, and generosity so that we can make their lives better and to show them what God is really like.

God doesn’t need us to tell Him what to do. He needs us to listen to Him so that we can do things His way to show the world who He is. He wants us to make “up there” come “down here”!