Matthew 6:10 (NIV) “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Many people see this verse as containing two separate petitions, but it is really one petition, stated in parallel format. Many have also been taught that asking for God’s kingdom to come is equivalent for asking that Jesus would return quickly and set everything right.
But when Jesus came the first time, God’s kingdom was brought into the world as a living reality. (Cf. Matthew 12:28.) What is actually being asked for in this petition is that God’s kingdom would become real in the lives of more and more people; that the number of people that are a part of His already here-and-now kingdom would expand until those who live in it will fill the earth.
The second phrase defines the first. God’s kingdom exists on earth wherever His will is done in the same way that it is in heaven: instantly, willingly, joyfully, and without question. Jesus embodied the kingdom of God as He lived, ministered, and even as He died. He never made a move, said a word, or even healed a body without God’s specific direction. (See John 5:19-20, 30.) He literally did God’s will on earth in exactly the same way that it is done in heaven and, as such, is the model of what that lifestyle looks like.
We all long for Jesus’ return, and that is a good thing. And when He returns, He will set everything right and eliminate all evil from the world. (Cf. Revelation 20:10-15.) But in the meantime, there is work to be done by the people of God’s kingdom to spread that kingdom by making disciples of all nations. Jesus’ parables are replete with images of a master returning from a journey and requiring an accounting from His servants as to how they continued His work while He was gone.
As in the first petition, this second petition includes both a request and a commitment. The request is that God will act powerfully to spread His kingdom on earth, bringing more and more people into it – people who will follow His commands, and who will transform the world where they live.
The commitment is that I, as the pray-er, will be actively involved in the process as God directs, not kicking back or hiding out and waiting for Him to do everything. When we commit ourselves to this petition, we will:
- Actively obey God’s commands, doing His will in our own lives as it is done in heaven, just like Jesus did.
- Be actively involved in making disicples (not just converts) of all nations, starting in our own communities.
- Take every opportunity to live as salt and light, bringing the power and presence of the indwelling Christ into the dark places around us, so that His light can dispel the darkness, and draw even more people into His kingdom through us.
If we are willing to make this commitment as we pray this petition, and to follow through on it, we will see God’s kingdom take root and grow, not just in our churches, but all around us.
Father, I commit myself to You right now to be an instrument in Your hand to make real the answer to this petition that Your kingdom would come. I commit myself to doing Your will here on earth as it is done in heaven: instantly, willingly, joyfully, and without question. Help me, Lord, to do this, just like Jesus did. Fill me to overflowing with your presence, Your power, Your purity, and Your passion for those who don’t yet know You, so that I can be an effective ambassador of Your kingdom, a powerful agent of transformation in my community today. Amen.