Why Do Christians Pray “Thy Kingdom Come”?

[RR144]

What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? While many repeat "The Lord's Prayer" frequently as a matter of habit and without fully appreciating its true meaning, God's faithful people see excellent reasons for the continued, intelligent request to God for his kingdom to come. The asking implies:

• The kingdom is not already here.
• That it will bring desirable blessings for God's people and for all humanity.
• That it is the divine intention to establish the dominion of the Heavenly Father among his earthly subjects – "Thy will be done". Some have misinterpreted the kingdom as being merely a work of grace in the hearts of believers and taught that the church already reigns on earth, making meaningless the strongest promises recorded by Jesus and the apostles and prophets. Psalm 72:8 says the kingdom will reach "from sea to sea", and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Such prophecies are not yet fulfilled.

We pray "Thy kingdom come" because we look for the Redeemer to appear the second time, bringing salvation not to a few, but to all. He tasted death for every man, and gave his life a ransom for all. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6). His first advent gathered comparatively few, whose faithfulness during the permission of evil gained for them a heavenly reward as sharers with Jesus in bringing blessings to the rest of the human family in due time. We pray because we long for "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13) – not in a literal sense, but recognizing a symbolic allusion to the new heavenly ruling powers which will take charge of earth's affairs, replacing its present control by Satan and his evil angels. The "new earth" is the new social order which Christ's kingdom will establish, based on justice and love, instead of oppression and lust for power, with the prospect of everlasting life in a perfected earth, instead of death and its grim processes. We pray because Jesus counseled us to do so. We believe the Bible, which from beginning to end unmistakably promises the Kingdom of God, the great time of blessing when the world's tears will all be wiped away.

 

[quietthinker]

What is also interesting about 'The Lord's Prayer' is it's focus is so different to the way we (people) pray.
Jesus gives God all the glory. Jesus is praying for God.
He starts with:-

1...'Our Father in Heaven' ......to make sure none of his hearers will think he is referring to Joseph
2...'hallowed be your name, .....ie may your character be admired
3...'your Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven' ....ie, may the harmony of Heaven be duplicated on Earth.

The remainder is translated from the Greek as what God needs to do for us.... in the familiar way, ie,

4...'give us this day our daily bread'
5...'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'
6...'lead us not into temptation'
....in this view we are telling God what he should do

it can also read like this:-

4...'You give us this day our daily bread'
5...'You forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'
6...'You lead us not into temptation

....in fact it is admissible in the Greek as well as desirable to place God's personal pronoun as a preface so it honours God for our blessings instead of telling him what to do.

7... for yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory.

It is so different to our prayers in the sense that our prayers tell God what to do; eg, please heal Auntie Jane's pimple on her nose or, Uncle John has cancer, please fix it or get me a better job....etc.

We tell God what he should be doing.....in other words, the servant is telling the Lord his business as if God doesn't know. No wonder the angel has to bring lots of incense with the prayers of the saints in:-
Revelation 8:3 'Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.'

The saints prayers reek of selfishness and self importance.

 

[Robert Gwin]

What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? While many repeat "The Lord's Prayer" frequently as a matter of habit and without fully appreciating its true meaning, God's faithful people see excellent reasons for the continued, intelligent request to God for his kingdom to come. The asking implies:

• The kingdom is not already here.
• That it will bring desirable blessings for God's people and for all humanity.
• That it is the divine intention to establish the dominion of the Heavenly Father among his earthly subjects – "Thy will be done". Some have misinterpreted the kingdom as being merely a work of grace in the hearts of believers and taught that the church already reigns on earth, making meaningless the strongest promises recorded by Jesus and the apostles and prophets. Psalm 72:8 says the kingdom will reach "from sea to sea", and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Such prophecies are not yet fulfilled.

We pray "Thy kingdom come" because we look for the Redeemer to appear the second time, bringing salvation not to a few, but to all. He tasted death for every man, and gave his life a ransom for all. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6). His first advent gathered comparatively few, whose faithfulness during the permission of evil gained for them a heavenly reward as sharers with Jesus in bringing blessings to the rest of the human family in due time. We pray because we long for "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13) – not in a literal sense, but recognizing a symbolic allusion to the new heavenly ruling powers which will take charge of earth's affairs, replacing its present control by Satan and his evil angels. The "new earth" is the new social order which Christ's kingdom will establish, based on justice and love, instead of oppression and lust for power, with the prospect of everlasting life in a perfected earth, instead of death and its grim processes. We pray because Jesus counseled us to do so. We believe the Bible, which from beginning to end unmistakably promises the Kingdom of God, the great time of blessing when the world's tears will all be wiped away.

Amen Berean, truthfully even though most everyone has asked God for that in prayer, very few actually know what they are asking for. Yes the Kingdom is not here yet, but it is forming. Jesus was enthroned as King and has cleansed the heavens already, thus entering us into the last day stretch. Being that the heavens is cleansed and satan and the demons are here on earth now, God has been gathering the sheep to His mountain Isa 2:2,3, in reality those being gathered will be the citizens of that Kingdom when Jesus and his powerful angels come to cleanse this earth and establish the earthly part of the Kingdom. Yes that is what we pray for when we utter that prayer. I can only respond the same way that John did to the angel in the closing words of the Bible: Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

 

[RR144]

Amen Berean, truthfully even though most everyone has asked God for that in prayer, very few actually know what they are asking for. Yes the Kingdom is not here yet, but it is forming. Jesus was enthroned as King and has cleansed the heavens already, thus entering us into the last day stretch. Being that the heavens is cleansed and satan and the demons are here on earth now, God has been gathering the sheep to His mountain Isa 2:2,3, in reality those being gathered will be the citizens of that Kingdom when Jesus and his powerful angels come to cleanse this earth and establish the earthly part of the Kingdom. Yes that is what we pray for when we utter that prayer. I can only respond the same way that John did to the angel in the closing words of the Bible: Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Agreed, except for the Isa. 2:2,3. That I believe is a Kingdom picture, and not happening now. The only gathering that God is doing are the co-heirs of Christ, His body members who will reign with him.

 

[Jim B]

Jesus taught His disciples, who were still under the Old Covenant, to pray the "Lord's prayer". It doesn't apply to Christians since God's kingdom has already come.

 

[RR144]

Jesus taught His disciples, who were still under the Old Covenant, to pray the "Lord's prayer". It doesn't apply to Christians since God's kingdom has already come.

um ... where is it?

 

[APAK]

What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? While many repeat "The Lord's Prayer" frequently as a matter of habit and without fully appreciating its true meaning, God's faithful people see excellent reasons for the continued, intelligent request to God for his kingdom to come. The asking implies:

• The kingdom is not already here.
• That it will bring desirable blessings for God's people and for all humanity.
• That it is the divine intention to establish the dominion of the Heavenly Father among his earthly subjects – "Thy will be done". Some have misinterpreted the kingdom as being merely a work of grace in the hearts of believers and taught that the church already reigns on earth, making meaningless the strongest promises recorded by Jesus and the apostles and prophets. Psalm 72:8 says the kingdom will reach "from sea to sea", and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Such prophecies are not yet fulfilled.

We pray "Thy kingdom come" because we look for the Redeemer to appear the second time, bringing salvation not to a few, but to all. He tasted death for every man, and gave his life a ransom for all. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6). His first advent gathered comparatively few, whose faithfulness during the permission of evil gained for them a heavenly reward as sharers with Jesus in bringing blessings to the rest of the human family in due time. We pray because we long for "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13) – not in a literal sense, but recognizing a symbolic allusion to the new heavenly ruling powers which will take charge of earth's affairs, replacing its present control by Satan and his evil angels. The "new earth" is the new social order which Christ's kingdom will establish, based on justice and love, instead of oppression and lust for power, with the prospect of everlasting life in a perfected earth, instead of death and its grim processes. We pray because Jesus counseled us to do so. We believe the Bible, which from beginning to end unmistakably promises the Kingdom of God, the great time of blessing when the world's tears will all be wiped away.

True believers do not pray for the Kingdom to come. It has already come, officially when Christ ascended to his Father and possessed all power over heaven and earth as King of his Kingdom today.

The Lord's Prayer is an Old Testament prayer, period,

Christ answered his apostles in context and within the current timeframe of their asking. The Torah (the Jewish law) was still in effect and it was proper for Jews to pray according to it.

The Lord's Prayer is in the Torah (Old Testament). Here are some cited OT verses I share with you from a collection I researched.

Here's a breakout of the Lord's prayer by every key line/phrase:

Our Father
Isaiah 63:16; 64:8

Who Art in Heaven
2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 57:15; 66:1

Hallowed by thy name
Leviticus 10:3; 22:32; 2 Samuel 7:26; 1 Kings 8:43; 1 Chronicles 17:24; Nehemiah 9:5; Psalm 72:19; 111:19; Isaiah 6:3; 29:23: 37:20; Ezekiel 36:23; 38:23; Hab. 2:4; Zech. 14:9; Mal. 1:11; 4:2

Thy kingdom come
Daniel 2:44; 7:13, 14, 27; Psalm 2:6; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6, 7; Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 9:9

Thy will be done
Psalm 40:3; Ezra 7:18; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 143:10

On earth as it is in heaven
Daniel 4:35; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 103:19-22

Give us this day our daily bread
Proverbs 30:8; Exodus 16:16; Job 23:12; Psalm 34:10; Isaiah 33:16

And forgive us our debts
Exodus 34:7; 1 Kings 8:30-50; Psalm 32:1; 103:3-12; 130:4; Daniel 9:4-19; Jeremiah 31:34; 36:3; 2 Chronicles 6:21

As we forgive our debtors
Nehemiah 5:12, 13; Genesis 50:17; 1 Samuel 25:28, 29; Deuteronomy 15:2

And lead us not into temptation
Isaiah 3:12; 9:16; Proverbs 16:29; 8:20; Psalm 125:5; 27:11; Genesis 22:1; Deut. 8:2; Proverbs 30:8

But deliver us from evil
1 Chronicles 4:10; Psalm 121:7, 8; Jeremiah 15:21; Psalm 56:13

For thine is the kingdom
1 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 145:13; Daniel 4:34, 35

And the Power
1 Chronicles 29:11

And the Glory
1 Chronicles 29:11; Daniel 7:14

For ever and ever.
Daniel 7:18

We are to pray that is fitting for the New Testament, and always pray to the Father with Jesus in mind and his name.

Blessings..

 

[Jim B]

um ... where is it?

Luke 17:20-21, " Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” NEV v2.1

"Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” NIV

"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” NRSV

"
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." KJV

Notice the present tense!

 

[RR144]

Notice the present tense!

And what exactly does it mean "within you"? Is the Kingdom invisible? Is not the Kingdom an actual government with Christ as King, ruled by Christ, over the earth?

 

[MatthewG]

Hello Berean,

It means you are a heavenly citizen of Jerusalem on High. You are born again with the Holy Spirit of God that comes by and through faith in Jesus, who sends the comforter that comes from the Father. It’s part of the heavenly which is all good and perfect that comes from God.

The kingdom of God is with in you, having the Holy Spirit of God, the spirit of Christ living with in you having become an adopted child of God through Faith in which one has relationship with the Father in heaven, asking for help by the Holy Spirit, lifting up others, having love for God first, praying in Jesus name.

 

[RR144]

Hello Berean,

It means you are a heavenly citizen of Jerusalem on High. You are born again with the Holy Spirit of God that comes by and through faith in Jesus, who sends the comforter that comes from the Father. It’s part of the heavenly which is all good and perfect that comes from God.

The kingdom of God is with in you, having the Holy Spirit of God, the spirit of Christ living with in you having become an adopted child of God through Faith in which one has relationship with the Father in heaven, asking for help by the Holy Spirit, lifting up others, having love for God first, praying in Jesus name.

Sorry, I don't see it that way. The Kingdom is a real government that Jesus and his body members will rule over the world of mankind for a 1,000 years.

 

[MatthewG]

Okay. Thank you for being upfront about it.

 

[Jim B]

And what exactly does it mean "within you"? Is the Kingdom invisible? Is not the Kingdom an actual government with Christ as King, ruled by Christ, over the earth?

For now, until Christ returns, the kingdom is within the body of believers. The king -- Christ -- is not physically present, but He -- the bridegroom -- will return.

Matthew 25:1-12, "“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour." NET v2.1

 

[Robert Gwin]

Agreed, except for the Isa. 2:2,3. That I believe is a Kingdom picture, and not happening now. The only gathering that God is doing are the co-heirs of Christ, His body members who will reign with him.

There is no last days in the Kingdom Ber, the sheep were scattered during the period of apostasy, and when Jesus was enthroned we entered into what is called the last days, the time period from when Jesus received the crown, till the establishment of the Kingdom after the battle of Armageddon. Jesus said it would not exceed one generation Mat 24:32-34

 

[Happy Trails]

What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? While many repeat "The Lord's Prayer" frequently as a matter of habit and without fully appreciating its true meaning, God's faithful people see excellent reasons for the continued, intelligent request to God for his kingdom to come. The asking implies:

• The kingdom is not already here.
• That it will bring desirable blessings for God's people and for all humanity.
• That it is the divine intention to establish the dominion of the Heavenly Father among his earthly subjects – "Thy will be done". Some have misinterpreted the kingdom as being merely a work of grace in the hearts of believers and taught that the church already reigns on earth, making meaningless the strongest promises recorded by Jesus and the apostles and prophets. Psalm 72:8 says the kingdom will reach "from sea to sea", and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Such prophecies are not yet fulfilled.

We pray "Thy kingdom come" because we look for the Redeemer to appear the second time, bringing salvation not to a few, but to all. He tasted death for every man, and gave his life a ransom for all. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6). His first advent gathered comparatively few, whose faithfulness during the permission of evil gained for them a heavenly reward as sharers with Jesus in bringing blessings to the rest of the human family in due time. We pray because we long for "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13) – not in a literal sense, but recognizing a symbolic allusion to the new heavenly ruling powers which will take charge of earth's affairs, replacing its present control by Satan and his evil angels. The "new earth" is the new social order which Christ's kingdom will establish, based on justice and love, instead of oppression and lust for power, with the prospect of everlasting life in a perfected earth, instead of death and its grim processes. We pray because Jesus counseled us to do so. We believe the Bible, which from beginning to end unmistakably promises the Kingdom of God, the great time of blessing when the world's tears will all be wiped away.

It is literally a "new heaven and a new earth."

The word "new" is "chodesh." It actually means "renewed." Every month there is a new moon. The old moon is not replaced. Its cycle is refreshed. The same term is used for the new covenant. It is the old covenant "renewed." Salvation has been offered to all. Not all have received it, nor will they.

The Kingdom will be established when Yeshua destroys the beast and his followers and establishes His Kingdom on the earth. Right now, Satan has legal authority over the earth. Only Yeshua has the legal authority to take it. Then the 1,000 year reign of Yeshua and His followers begins. It continues after that 1,000 year period when those that were not His at His coming are resurrected and judged. That Kingdom will continue forever. The beast and his followers are cast into a lake of fire.

The new "social order" is based on the Torah. Isaiah 2:3 Micah 4:2

There can be no justice without a Law. There is only One Law. It would not be justice if people were judged according to a law that they were not given, or that they had never seen, or that was made up by humans. No one who owns a Bible can say, "I didn't know." There can be no justice without punishment of the wicked. The Bible promises that from beginning to end.

 

[michaelvpardo]

What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? While many repeat "The Lord's Prayer" frequently as a matter of habit and without fully appreciating its true meaning, God's faithful people see excellent reasons for the continued, intelligent request to God for his kingdom to come. The asking implies:

• The kingdom is not already here.
• That it will bring desirable blessings for God's people and for all humanity.
• That it is the divine intention to establish the dominion of the Heavenly Father among his earthly subjects – "Thy will be done". Some have misinterpreted the kingdom as being merely a work of grace in the hearts of believers and taught that the church already reigns on earth, making meaningless the strongest promises recorded by Jesus and the apostles and prophets. Psalm 72:8 says the kingdom will reach "from sea to sea", and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Such prophecies are not yet fulfilled.

We pray "Thy kingdom come" because we look for the Redeemer to appear the second time, bringing salvation not to a few, but to all. He tasted death for every man, and gave his life a ransom for all. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:6). His first advent gathered comparatively few, whose faithfulness during the permission of evil gained for them a heavenly reward as sharers with Jesus in bringing blessings to the rest of the human family in due time. We pray because we long for "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13) – not in a literal sense, but recognizing a symbolic allusion to the new heavenly ruling powers which will take charge of earth's affairs, replacing its present control by Satan and his evil angels. The "new earth" is the new social order which Christ's kingdom will establish, based on justice and love, instead of oppression and lust for power, with the prospect of everlasting life in a perfected earth, instead of death and its grim processes. We pray because Jesus counseled us to do so. We believe the Bible, which from beginning to end unmistakably promises the Kingdom of God, the great time of blessing when the world's tears will all be wiped away.

I like your post and agree with it, but I look forward more to the resurrection than the kingdom, and the redemption of my body freed from sin. Christians have traditionally defined three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Devil is defeated, the form of this world is fading, but the flesh remains the flesh until the full redemption of our bodies.
God bless you brother. Keep the faith., but understand that though the fullness of the kingdom waits for Christ's return, it exists in your heart or you wouldn't be here writing posts.

 

[RR144]

There is no last days in the Kingdom Ber, the sheep were scattered during the period of apostasy, and when Jesus was enthroned we entered into what is called the last days, the time period from when Jesus received the crown, till the establishment of the Kingdom after the battle of Armageddon. Jesus said it would not exceed one generation Mat 24:32-34

I have no idea what you're trying to say Robert. Care to elaborate?

 

[RR144]

Okay. Thank you for being upfront about it.

Let me show you what I'm coming from Matthew, but in the end, we can agree to disagree.

God's rule in heaven is already established, as indicated in the prayer “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” As to the earth, Jesus referred to Satan as "the prince of this world”, and the Apostle Paul called him "the god of this world", evidencing the Adversary's usurpation of power over God's earthly creation. The Creator in his wisdom has permitted this state of affairs for a time for good reasons, and the Bible throughout speaks of an end to Satan's dominion and a restoration of harmony between God and man. This is the primary objective of the kingdom, and its implications are so far-reaching for human life and experience as to surpass the possibilities of human imagination.

The kingdom is both heavenly and earthly, in that its chief ruler will be the glorified Christ, spiritual and invisible to human eyes, while its earthly subjects are the world of mankind. The Christ will, however, work through earthly representatives, and Jesus spoke of men seeing Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom, indicating that the faithful of pre-Christian times would have honored positions. They believed God's promises and their faith was counted as righteousness, in spite of the impediments imposed by the curse. Having been tried and found faithful, in the awakening from death they will receive their reward – perfect human nature (Hebrews 11:35), and it is with them first that God will enter into a new covenant, promising to write his laws in their hearts and put his spirit in them. Other faithful believers, not called to the heavenly inheritance, will also assist the Christ in the administration of new laws governing the operation of the kingdom in its every aspect – social, legislative, educational, philanthropic and religious. The removal by Christ of the evil influences of Satan and his fallen angels will give the people a full, fair opportunity to learn unimpeded what blessings can result from the keeping of God's laws, and the gaining of a permanent place in the earthly kingdom of God will gratify every desire of the perfect human heart.

Where will the kingdom's "parliament" be? As Jerusalem was the seat of empire for God's chosen nation of Israel, it will again occupy that position, and the faithful men and women of old, raised from death, will naturally return to their homeland. Isaiah 2:3 says " . . . out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem". From there the Lord will settle international disputes. All weapons will be converted into implements of peace and all military training will end. Other nations will seek help from the earthly representatives of God's kingdom as they observe its increasing prosperity, and as its influence extends ever further, another prophecy will be fulfilled: "Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end" (Isaiah 9:7).

 

[MatthewG]

You believe in a material kingdom by Jesus here set up on earth? All I know is what Jesus said. John 18:36

I personally don’t mind what people believe, everything is subjectively lived by the individual and their faith between God and themselves.

Anyone else desire to share about the main topic, please do.

 

[Robert Gwin]

I have no idea what you're trying to say Robert. Care to elaborate?

Sometimes it is hard to follow the conversation, but right beside the posters name that you are replying to there is a small arrow pointing up, if you click on that it will take you back to the previous conversation with the poster, then to return back hit the back arrow on the web page the same number of times you went back in the conversation.

My response was to your thinking Isa 2:2,3 was future rather than taking place today.