BREAKING THE ALABASTER BOX
Lesson 5: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done Part On Earth As It Is In Heaven1: Kingdom Prayers
Matthew 6:
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Jesus instructed us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom. Just what is the Kingdom of God? God’s kingdom is his church. Isn’t it already here? Do we still have to pray for it’s coming?
It is important to remember what we have learned about the spirit realm of Heaven. Things happen first there before they happen here on the natural level. In Heaven, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But today, Satan is the Prince of this World. Oh, yes, one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. That day has not yet come. Therefore, although we are already citizens of that Kingdom, we must still pray for its transfer from Heaven to Earth.
God requires faith to be loosed by humans in prayer for anything he wishes to do here. He does not need our assistance for anything he wishes to do in Heaven; there his will goes forth as soon as he speaks, just as it did on Earth before the fall. Since the enemy of our souls acquired the lease of this planet, God is bound by faith loosed through our words in prayer in order to achieve his will here. For God’s Kingdom to come, we must pray.
There are two major areas for which we must pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. First, we must pray for the completion of God’s divine plan for the human race. We must pray for God to have his way in every nation and in every event of human history. Every natural disaster, every political election, every war and each economic disturbance is used by our Father to bring his Kingdom to Earth. The disasters which take lives and break our hearts are all known to him and though they are created by the Enemy, God uses them as fertilizer for his coming Kingdom. What matters to God must also matter to us.
What do the prayers of one person matter in the face of international heartbreak? One person’s fervent prayer can change the world. Intercessory prayer is the most important ministry in which to engage. In fact, intercession is the foundation for every ministry. There is no problem too big for us to make a difference. God counts on us to lose the faith He needs to bring down His manifested will from heaven.
We need an organization to help us pray for the big picture which may not touch our daily lives. Some people say they never watch the news or read a newspaper because it is depressing. If we are uninformed about current events, how will we fulfill our role of losing God’s will for mankind into the Earth? We need to seek the information we need in order to fulfill our purpose as intercessors for God’s will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
There is no need for great knowledge of the situation or even great revelation of God’s plan. God might choose to reveal things to us, but even if he does not, we can be mightily used in the place of intercessory prayer for the nations. “Lord Jesus, have your way” can be a mighty prayer. Yet the Holy Spirit can help us pray for these overwhelming needs and we can pray powerfully effective prayers.
We can always pray for mercy. We can always pray to restrain evil and protect the innocent. We can pray for God’s truth and Spirit to be revealed. And we can pray that Christians will receive guidance on how to best manifest Jesus in a global situation. But above all, we pray for the Father’s will to be manifest on Earth just as it is already manifest in Heaven.
The second area in which we pray for the manifest Will of the Father is in the lives of individuals around us. Everyone put in our paths is there for a purpose. From our families and friends to the receptionist at the doctor’s office, to the stranger we pass on the street. All are sent by God. Everyone around us is ours for the ministry of prayer.
Perhaps we will only be able to pray for a person one time. Perhaps we will pray for them every day for the rest of our lives. Whether one prayer or many, each prayer for each person loses the will of God into that life by the words of faith. We may only discover the value of our little prayers when we reach Heaven.
Each person we encounter is an opportunity for intercessory prayer. Every need is a chance to release faith. Whether we have no idea of what the person needs or we have prayed for a lost relative for years, no prayer is wasted. Remember that the will of God is already perfected in Heaven and waiting to be set free.
Thus no prayer is ever wasted. Each time we intercede for someone, the will of God is loosed in that individual’s life. It does not matter the subject of the prayer. Each intercessory prayer brings a little bit of Heaven to Earth. Every ministry has a foundation of intercessory prayer. Prayer is the greatest act of ministry we can perform.
Praying for others is more than a duty. It is a joy. When we engage in intercessory prayer, we become partners with God in bringing his kingdom from Heaven to Earth. What greater honor could God bestow on us than to allow us to share in his great plan for mankind? Let me pray for someone today!
Discussion
1. What still needs to be revealed on Earth concerning the kingdom of God?
2. Why does God need our prayers?
3. Are only some people called to intercession?
4. How does intercessory prayer help me grow spiritually?
Exercises
`1. Buy a newspaper or watch the evening news for a week. Using your prayer journal, list the international or regional news stories of greatest significance. Pray for these situations.
2. As you meditate on scripture, ask the Lord to reveal his will for our nation in the end times. Each day, boldly pray for this will to be done.
3. Pray for each person who crosses your path each day; losing the will of God in their lives.
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