This is our desire as Christians. We want His Kingdom to come down.
This is realizing that we are living in a world that is ruled by sin. John wrote, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (I Jn 5:19) He said that we are of God’s Kingdom, but this world is ruled by another kingdom.
When we pray, an important motive behind our praying has to be an allegiance to God’s rule over the entire earth, which will ultimately come in the Millennial Reign when Jesus comes back to set up His Kingdom on Earth. Then, there will be no more wars. There will be perfect peace. Jesus Himself will rule from Jerusalem.
But until then, we continue to pray, “Your kingdom come.” His Kingdom is in us. We are His Church. And so this means that we pray for His righteousness, His glory, and His purposes to be accomplished through us. We devote ourselves to be agents of His Kingdom.
We have to understand that we’re not just Americans. We’re not just citizens of Earth. No, we’re citizens of Heaven foremost. So, as the Church, we change the world through God’s heavenly Kingdom. Our primary allegiance has to be to Heaven. Not to a church, a political machine, a group, or a country. It’s got to be to Heaven’s agenda.
We are not political activists or cultural strategists. We don’t affect the world through the world. We don’t see God’s Kingdom advance through the means of the earthly Kingdom. We have no business trying to affect natural change through natural means.
The Early Church, under the leadership of men such as Peter, Paul, and John, never boycotted Caesar or rallied to enact Christian legislation. No, they lived in immense persecution and among wicked idolatry. And yet they thrived more in that environment that we are in our westernized Christianity. They changed the world not through the resources of the world, but through the power of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus, standing before Pilate, said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight… My kingdom is not from here” (Jn. 18:36). We have little understanding of this mentality in America. If we did, we’d spend more time reading the Bible than reading the news, we’d focus more on prayer and preaching than on politics, and we’d care more about the souls of our neighbors than who’s in the White House.
Today, many in the Church seem to think that we are called to affect change by voting red or blue, by protesting, by organizing, or by strategizing. I’m afraid that many have forgotten what kind of kingdom we are part of. It is not of this world. God’s Kingdom is heavenly. His Kingdom is spiritual and more powerful and effective than any human machine or method.
We must pray, “Lord, Your kingdom come.” And then, we must align ourselves with God and His Kingdom agenda on this earth, in our lives and in our decisions. We’ve got to have a Kingdom mindset. We’re part of something greater. We add to and build His Kingdom through prayer, preaching the Gospel, and the power of the Spirit. That’s how it’s done. And we anticipate Jesus coming again to finally set the whole world right through His Kingdom on Earth.
This is what it means to pray, “Your kingdom come.” I want His Name to be glorified and His purposes to be fulfilled in and through the lives of changed and set-free souls. I want His Kingdom to come down.
The Azusa Weekly 