Daily Devotions

What is meant by God’s kingdom and by God’s will in the Lord's prayer? Let’s start with the word kingdom.

The Greek word for kingdom (basileia) occurs 162 times in the New Testament, so clearly this is an important biblical term. Although the Lord’s Prayer uses the word kingdom as a stand-alone term, it is obviously a reference to God’s kingdom. Any correct understanding of kingdom in the New Testament must emphasise that it is the kingdom of God. Matthew’s Gospel often calls it the “kingdom of heaven,” but that is simply a Jewish way of referring to the kingdom that belongs to the God who dwells in heaven.

A simple definition is to think of the kingdom of God as his reign and rule. Another way to think of the kingdom is as God’s redemptive presence coming down from heaven to earth.

The Living Bible paraphrases the Lord's Prayer that is riven through with Kingdom language in this way. “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honour your holy name.We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.Give us our food again today, as usual, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.  Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.’ Matthew 6:9-13

The kingdom of God does not exist because of your effort or mine. It exists because God reigns. Our part is to enter this kingdom and bring our life under his sovereign will.

Take Matthew, a tax collector, who is making money hand over fist. Despised by all the people for collaborating with the Romans, he absorbs himself in his world of money. Then one day, Jesus passes by, looks at Matthew, and simply says, "Follow Me." And for one brief moment, Matthew has a dilemma. A split-second image of all his gold and his silver and his house and his possessions. Then he looks at Jesus and realises he's got to make a choice - he can't have both. But there was no comparison. He recognised instantly that he was looking at the True Treasure, the true riches. And he left everything: He made a sacrifice that turned out to be no sacrifice at all. He made a choice for the Kingdom of Heaven.

We know that your kingdom 

is a kingdom of love, justice and of peace.

A kingdom of righteousness and abundance for all.

Do not allow us to be deceived by the standard of this world, where unjust wars rule and colonisers become rulers of the nations.

Let your will be done soon,

and vanish the pseudo-kingdom of empire power,

until we can finally say, heaven is possible here on earth. Amen