When we think about kingdoms, our minds often drift to images of conquest, strategy games like Risk, or historical empires building their dominance through force. But what if God’s kingdom operates on an entirely different principle? What if it’s not about conquest at all, but about something far more intimate and personal?
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What Does “Your Kingdom Come” Really Mean?
The phrase “your kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer might seem like a shift in tone from the intimate relationship we’ve been building with God as our Father. Suddenly we’re talking about submitting to a king and accepting His will. But this apparent change reveals something profound about God’s character and His desires for us.
Throughout history, earthly kingdoms have been built through conquest – the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans all expanded their territories through military might. Yet God’s kingdom operates on a completely different foundation.
The Biblical Pattern: God Pursuing Relationship
When we look at the entire biblical narrative chronologically, one theme emerges consistently: God relentlessly pursuing relationship with His people. This isn’t a story of divine conquest, but of divine love seeking connection.
From the Beginning: A Broken Relationship
The story begins in Eden with perfect relationship between God and humanity. When sin entered the picture through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, that intimate connection was severed. Everything that follows is God’s patient work to restore what was lost.
God’s Covenant Promise
God established His covenant with Abraham, promising: “I will establish my covenant with you as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come to be your God, and the God of your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7-8).
This same promise echoes throughout Scripture. To Moses and the Israelites: “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7). Even through the prophet Jeremiah during Israel’s darkest times: “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Jeremiah 7:23).
Why Did Israel Want an Earthly King?
When the Israelites demanded a king like other nations, God told Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). The people were essentially saying, “God, you’re not enough. We need something more tangible.”
This reveals the heart of the issue: God has always wanted to be our King, not through force or political power, but through loving relationship.
The New Covenant: A Fresh Start
After Israel repeatedly broke their covenant with God, He promised something new through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you… You will be my people, and I will be your God” (Ezekiel 36:26-28).
This new kingdom wouldn’t be based on ancestry, politics, or geography. It would be composed of anyone who chooses to make God their King, regardless of background.
When Does God’s Kingdom Come?
God’s kingdom arrived with Jesus, but it exists in a unique “already but not yet” state. The kingdom is here now because the King is present, and we can surrender our lives to Him today. Yet we still await the ultimate fulfillment of God’s kingdom.
Revelation 21 gives us a glimpse of this final restoration: “Look, God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
There’s that familiar refrain again: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”
What Happens When We Pray “Your Kingdom Come”?
When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we’re making several declarations:
- We’re asking God to be our God and requesting to be His people
- We’re surrendering our own kingdoms – our plans, desires, and control
- We’re aligning with God’s will rather than insisting on our own
- We’re asking for others to know Him too because His heart breaks for those who don’t yet have relationship with Him
From “What’s Your Will for My Life?” to “What’s Your Will?”
As our relationship with God deepens through prayer, our questions change. We stop asking, “God, what’s your will for my life?” and start asking, “God, what’s your will?” We begin wanting what He wants, not just for ourselves but for everyone around us.
God’s Heart for the Lost
Second Peter 3:9 reveals God’s patience: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness, but instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Even when we’re ready to pray “Come, Lord Jesus” because the world seems so broken, God’s timing reflects His desire to give more people opportunities to know Him.
Becoming the Answer to Our Own Prayers
When we truly pray “your kingdom come, your will be done,” we’re not just asking God to do something. We’re saying, like Isaiah, “Here I am, God. Use me.” We’re volunteering to be part of the answer.
This means:
- When we see hurting people, we ask God to make us the answer
- When we encounter poverty and loneliness, we offer ourselves as His hands and feet
- When we meet people who need Jesus, we become His ambassadors
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to move from seeking God’s will for your life to seeking God’s will, period. Spend time in prayer and fasting, laying down your own desires and asking God to show you how you can be part of His kingdom work in your community.
Consider these questions as you reflect on this message:
- In what areas of my life am I still trying to be king instead of letting God reign?
- How can I shift from asking “What’s God’s will for me?” to “What’s God’s will?”
- Who in my life needs to experience God’s love and relationship, and how can I be part of that?
- What would it look like for me to truly become the answer to my own prayers for God’s kingdom to come?
God’s kingdom isn’t about conquest – it’s about connection. It’s not about dominion – it’s about relationship. When we pray “your kingdom come,” we’re inviting the God who has been pursuing us since Eden to finally, fully be our God as we become His beloved people.