Praying For God's Kingdom To Come

As noted in yesterday's blog, Jesus came to depose the devil from his throne. The devil had successfully taken over control of the people of this world and become their god, even when they did not know they were worshipping him. Now a new king has appeared, the rightful ruler. And we are taught by the  true King! to pray, "Your kingdom come!"

The true LORD and God, Jesus the Messiah, has begun His reign. So we join the people of Jerusalem who welcomed Him into Jerusalem with their prayer: Hallelujah—LORD save us! Save us from our folly, from the powers of darkness, from the craziness of a world that worships those powers! Set us free to be children of God (Romans 8:20-21).

From an early 1900's Bible card illustration

Already that is happening. His Spirit is at work through His Word, calling us to faith and leading us to follow where He leads. So we are sent back into the world, not to be of the world, but to be in the world with the Good News. This is our calling, our vocation. Peter writes about it in this manner:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. - 1Pe 2:4-12 ESV

I'll not expound in detail upon what Peter says above. Only note that he emphasizes that we who acknowledge Jesus as the true King understand that we gave been called out of darkness into His marvelous light! We have received undeserved mercy in Christ. What follows is that we abandon the ways of the world, what Peter calls the passions of the flesh. These passions wage war against our very souls. So in deep humility we follow Christ the King wherever He sends us to live honorable lives. Our purpose in all of this is that the people of the world (who are not yet God's people), may see our good deeds and give God the glory on the great day when Christ returns in glory.

So teaches also the Apostle Paul,

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." - Rom 15:8-11 ESV 

We who have been adopted into the people of God go then out into the world to live out our vocations, our varied callings—father, mother, business person, doctor, nurse, lawyer, soldier, and on and on—under the kingship of the true King. The "Gentiles" are watching our good deeds. Through this witness, we pray that the kingdom of God may come indeed, also among them. And so together we shall rejoice and praise the LORD forever and ever.