Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come
By Pastor John Dawson
In the second petition. Which is, Thy Kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened. WSC A 102.
The earliest proclamation of our Lord’s gospel was the announcement that the Kingdom of God was at hand. John the Baptist called on people to repent in order to be ready for the Kingdom of God which was coming. In the Lord’s prayer, the second petition is for the Kingdom of God to come. The importance of the Kingdom of God cannot be overemphasized. It should be in our minds. It gives us a present hope that we experience in part even now. And we anticipate what it will be like when the Kingdom arrives in its fulness. This is important to have in our hearts and our prayers.
This is a prayer for the full establishment of God’s reign on earth. The Lord is sovereign over all of his creatures and all of their actions. God is God. And yet, at this time, there are systems which do not push forward the values of the Kingdom of God. There are warlords who fight against other people in order to expand their own kingdom. We see these evil kingdoms in the wars that are currently raging around the world. We see these kingdoms in the systems that oppress people and treat them with less honor than they deserve as image bearers of God. The prayer for the Kingdom to come is asking the Lord to expand his program so these which oppose him would become smaller and more inconsequential.
The increase of the Kingdom also means more people in the Kingdom. We pray for people to know Jesus and trust him by faith. They receive the Holy Spirit and begin to live lives which honor the Lord and the values of his Kingdom. We pray for more people to be brought directly into the kingdom by trusting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We also pray that they and we would be kept in the Kingdom. That is, we would grow as Christians. When we pray for the Kingdom to come, we are praying that it will grow in us. Grow in number and grow in depth in each one who is in it.
We recognize that the chief enemy of the Kingdom of God is the kingdom of Satan. When we pray for the Kingdom to come, we ask for Satan to be beaten back and have less sway in the affairs of men. This can be on a global scale, but also on a personal level. What are the problems that you are facing right now? Are you being mistreated by someone who is determined to use you for their own ends? Do you suffer under something unrighteous? You want this to stop. All those things which are not aligned with the Lord and fight against the Kingdom of love. This petition calls directly for their defeat.
Ultimately in this petition we pray for the final end of all rebellious kingdoms and powers which will happen when our Lord returns in glory. All those who oppose the King of kings and the Lord of lords will fall by the power of his word which is described as a sword coming out of his mouth (Revelation 19:15). This victory is certain, so we live in present hope. We are also encouraged because we know the end of all evil will come and we will have glorious peace with the Lord himself forever. The full coming of the Kingdom is the time of the new creation.
Pray the second petition of the Lord’s prayer with this in your mind. It will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you. You are praying for the kingdom to increase in you and increase through you. You are called to answer this prayer by paying attention to your part in the Kingdom. The Kingdom advances through those who are in it. That means you. How are your actions increasing the advance of the Kingdom of God? Remember, you will be able truly to advance the Kingdom only by the power of the King, our Lord Jesus. Look to him. Be empowered by him. He will use you for his purposes. May you know the reality of the Kingdom of God more and more until he brings it in fulness.
Pastor John