The Kingdom of God in the Lord’s Prayer
Scripture — Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 6:10 (NRSV)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Focus
The Lord’s Prayer helps us to know how we can live in God’s kingdom now, even as we await its future coming. Right now, we can ask that God’s will be done in our world. More specifically, we can ask that we might do God’s will in our part of the world: in our work and worship, in our rest and play, in our homes and stores, in our churches and boardrooms. We will not bring the kingdom of God through our efforts, but we can faithfully manifest and extend the kingdom as we do God’s will in every part of life.
This devotion is part of the series: Following Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Devotion
In last Wednesday’s Life for Leaders devotion we began to consider the question: Can we live in God’s kingdom now, or do we have to wait for the kingdom to come in the future? We discovered that the answer of Jesus to this question is nuanced. Yes, the kingdom has come near and thus is truly present. Yet, the kingdom is not completely here, and so we continue to hope for its full presence in the future.
As we make our way through the Gospel of Mark together, we’ll talk often about the “already and not yet” dynamic of the kingdom of God. But, before we move on in Mark, I want to suggest one way the “already and not yet” aspect of the kingdom can shape both our prayers and our daily lives.
I’m thinking about how Jesus taught us to pray in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” In this prayer, there is a line that reads, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). This portion of The Lord’s Prayer embodies the “already and not yet” dimension of the kingdom. Jesus teaches us to pray for the kingdom to come, which suggests that it is not here yet, at least not completely. Yet, Jesus also instructs us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven. Given that the kingdom of God is God’s reign, God’s rule, God’s sovereignty, then praying for God’s will to be done on earth is rather like praying for God’s kingdom to be present now. So, while we pray for the fullness of the kingdom to come in the future, we also pray for the impact of God’s kingdom to be experienced in our lives now.
The Lord’s Prayer helps us to know how we can live in God’s kingdom now, even as we await its future coming. Right now, we can ask that God’s will be done in our world. More specifically, we can ask that we might do God’s will in our part of the world: in our work and worship, in our rest and play, in our homes and stores, in our churches and boardrooms. We will not bring the kingdom of God through our efforts, but we can faithfully manifest and extend the kingdom as we do God’s will in every part of life.
Reflect
How do you experience God’s kingdom in your life these days?
Do you pray for God’s will to be done in your work? Why or why not?
How might your work be different if you sought to do God’s will in every action, every decision?
Act
Pray the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer slowly and thoughtfully. As you pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done, what does this stir up in your heart?
Pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen. (Matt 6:9-13)
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Is the Kingdom of God Part of My Daily Life?.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Fellow
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Fellow for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and t...