Kingdom Prayer
Revelation 21:1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Have you ever caught yourself rushing through the Lord's Prayer without really considering what you're asking for? When we pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we're actually making a transformative request. It's a prayer that looks forward to the complete renewal of creation itself.
I've been thinking about this more and more as we explore the Lord's Prayer in our current sermon series. The request for God's kingdom to come isn't just about immediate change in our world – it's about the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for creation. And nowhere do we see this fulfillment portrayed more vividly than in Revelation 21.
What are we really asking for when we pray for God's kingdom to come? We're not just asking for minor improvements or slight adjustments to our current reality. We're praying for nothing less than the complete transformation of heaven and earth. In Revelation 21, John gives us a glimpse of this transformation, and it's far more radical than we might imagine. The passage begins with an image: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." This isn't a mere renovation – it's a complete renewal. Peter helps us understand this process in his second letter, describing how the present heavens and earth will be purified by fire (2 Peter 3:10-13). This isn't destruction for destruction's sake; it's purification with purpose.
Think about what this means for our prayers. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're aligning ourselves with God's ultimate purpose for creation. We're not just asking for temporary fixes to our problems – we're participating in God's plan to make everything new. This should revolutionize how we pray and how we live.
John's vision continues with an image illustrates the heart of God's purpose: the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven "prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." This imagery isn't just poetic– it reveals the perfect unity that God intends between Himself and His people. The Church, collectively known as Christ's bride, will finally be united with her bridegroom in perfect harmony.
But here's where it gets personal. John hears a loud voice declaring, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them." This announcement marks the fulfillment of God's consistent desire throughout Scripture to dwell with His people. From the garden of Eden to the tabernacle in the wilderness, from Solomon's temple to Jesus becoming flesh and dwelling among us – God has always moved toward closer communion with humanity. In the new creation, this presence becomes complete and permanent.
The implications of this presence are staggering. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." These aren't just comforting words – they're a promise of complete transformation. Every source of sorrow will be eliminated. Death, that relentless enemy of human happiness, will be abolished. The grief that shadows our joy will vanish. The pain that marks our existence will cease. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're praying for this reality. We're asking God to bring about this complete renewal, this perfect presence, this end to all sorrow. But here's the crucial point: this prayer isn't just about the future. It shapes how we live right now.
Think about what it means to live as people who believe in this coming reality. If we're praying for God's kingdom to come, shouldn't our lives reflect the values of that kingdom? If we're asking for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, shouldn't we be actively participating in God's work of renewal?
This is where prayer meets practice. When we pray for God's kingdom, we're committing ourselves to be agents of that kingdom in the present. We're asking to be part of God's work of making all things new. This might mean bringing comfort to those who mourn, working for justice in our communities, or sharing the hope of the gospel with those who haven't heard it.
The declaration from the throne in Revelation 21:5 – "I am making everything new!" – isn't just about the future. It's a process that begins now, through the work of God's Spirit in and through His people. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're inviting God to continue this work of renewal in our own lives and in the world around us. This understanding should transform our approach to prayer. It's not just about asking God to fix our immediate problems (though He cares about these). It's about aligning our hearts with His ultimate purposes. It's about seeing our daily struggles and challenges in light of God's promise to make all things new.
When we pray "Your kingdom come," we're expressing our longing for the day when God's presence will be fully manifest, when all tears will be wiped away, when death will be no more. But we're also committing ourselves to live now in light of that coming reality. We're asking God to use us as instruments of His kingdom, as agents of hope and renewal in a world that desperately needs both. This kind of prayer changes us. It expands our vision beyond our immediate circumstances to God's cosmic purposes. It helps us see our daily lives as part of God's larger story of redemption and renewal. It gives us hope when circumstances seem hopeless, because we know the end of the story – God will make all things new.
So the next time you pray "Your kingdom come," pause and consider what you're really asking for. You're not just reciting familiar words – you're aligning yourself with God's ultimate purpose for creation. You're expressing your longing for His perfect presence. You're committing yourself to be part of His work of renewal. And you're declaring your trust in His promise to make all things new. This is the heart of kingdom prayer – not just asking for God to change our circumstances, but asking Him to change us and use us for His kingdom purposes. It's a prayer that looks forward to the ultimate fulfillment of all God's promises, while transforming how we live in the present. May we learn to pray it with understanding, conviction, and hope.
I've been thinking about this more and more as we explore the Lord's Prayer in our current sermon series. The request for God's kingdom to come isn't just about immediate change in our world – it's about the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for creation. And nowhere do we see this fulfillment portrayed more vividly than in Revelation 21.
What are we really asking for when we pray for God's kingdom to come? We're not just asking for minor improvements or slight adjustments to our current reality. We're praying for nothing less than the complete transformation of heaven and earth. In Revelation 21, John gives us a glimpse of this transformation, and it's far more radical than we might imagine. The passage begins with an image: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." This isn't a mere renovation – it's a complete renewal. Peter helps us understand this process in his second letter, describing how the present heavens and earth will be purified by fire (2 Peter 3:10-13). This isn't destruction for destruction's sake; it's purification with purpose.
Think about what this means for our prayers. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're aligning ourselves with God's ultimate purpose for creation. We're not just asking for temporary fixes to our problems – we're participating in God's plan to make everything new. This should revolutionize how we pray and how we live.
John's vision continues with an image illustrates the heart of God's purpose: the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven "prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." This imagery isn't just poetic– it reveals the perfect unity that God intends between Himself and His people. The Church, collectively known as Christ's bride, will finally be united with her bridegroom in perfect harmony.
But here's where it gets personal. John hears a loud voice declaring, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them." This announcement marks the fulfillment of God's consistent desire throughout Scripture to dwell with His people. From the garden of Eden to the tabernacle in the wilderness, from Solomon's temple to Jesus becoming flesh and dwelling among us – God has always moved toward closer communion with humanity. In the new creation, this presence becomes complete and permanent.
The implications of this presence are staggering. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." These aren't just comforting words – they're a promise of complete transformation. Every source of sorrow will be eliminated. Death, that relentless enemy of human happiness, will be abolished. The grief that shadows our joy will vanish. The pain that marks our existence will cease. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're praying for this reality. We're asking God to bring about this complete renewal, this perfect presence, this end to all sorrow. But here's the crucial point: this prayer isn't just about the future. It shapes how we live right now.
Think about what it means to live as people who believe in this coming reality. If we're praying for God's kingdom to come, shouldn't our lives reflect the values of that kingdom? If we're asking for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, shouldn't we be actively participating in God's work of renewal?
This is where prayer meets practice. When we pray for God's kingdom, we're committing ourselves to be agents of that kingdom in the present. We're asking to be part of God's work of making all things new. This might mean bringing comfort to those who mourn, working for justice in our communities, or sharing the hope of the gospel with those who haven't heard it.
The declaration from the throne in Revelation 21:5 – "I am making everything new!" – isn't just about the future. It's a process that begins now, through the work of God's Spirit in and through His people. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we're inviting God to continue this work of renewal in our own lives and in the world around us. This understanding should transform our approach to prayer. It's not just about asking God to fix our immediate problems (though He cares about these). It's about aligning our hearts with His ultimate purposes. It's about seeing our daily struggles and challenges in light of God's promise to make all things new.
When we pray "Your kingdom come," we're expressing our longing for the day when God's presence will be fully manifest, when all tears will be wiped away, when death will be no more. But we're also committing ourselves to live now in light of that coming reality. We're asking God to use us as instruments of His kingdom, as agents of hope and renewal in a world that desperately needs both. This kind of prayer changes us. It expands our vision beyond our immediate circumstances to God's cosmic purposes. It helps us see our daily lives as part of God's larger story of redemption and renewal. It gives us hope when circumstances seem hopeless, because we know the end of the story – God will make all things new.
So the next time you pray "Your kingdom come," pause and consider what you're really asking for. You're not just reciting familiar words – you're aligning yourself with God's ultimate purpose for creation. You're expressing your longing for His perfect presence. You're committing yourself to be part of His work of renewal. And you're declaring your trust in His promise to make all things new. This is the heart of kingdom prayer – not just asking for God to change our circumstances, but asking Him to change us and use us for His kingdom purposes. It's a prayer that looks forward to the ultimate fulfillment of all God's promises, while transforming how we live in the present. May we learn to pray it with understanding, conviction, and hope.
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