Who we pray to has the power to shape what we pray for. Jesus taught us to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” With this petition, we declare that God’s rule is the most important aspect of life.
To pray, “your kingdom come” is essentially a prayer for two things: 1. That God’s reign would be increasingly understood, embraced, and experienced. 2. That the kingdom of this world would come to an end. To pray, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is also essentially a prayer for two things: 1. That God’s commands would be increasingly understood and obeyed. 2. That God would sovereignly rule over and direct the events of the world.
When Peter and John were released by the religious leaders and told to no longer speak (and minister) in the name of Jesus, they rejoined the other believers and prayed in keeping with Jesus’ instructions. They recognized the Lord as the Creator-King whose will was to overturn the kingdom of the world and so they prayed for the ability to continue doing the very things Jesus did instead of asking God to relieve the pressure on them, make them more comfortable, or protect them.
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