Jesus’ followers have been saying the Lord’s Prayer since he taught it to them. Many of us know this prayer so well that we can say it without thinking. But if we look carefully at this prayer, we can see that it’s a kingdom prayer. This shows up in the first things we ask for when we say the Lord’s Prayer.
We ask for God’s name to be hallowed. We ask for God’s kingdom to be established. We ask for God’s will to be accomplished. And we ask for all of this to happen on earth the same as it is done in heaven.
Heaven and earth are not the same. In heaven every creature worships God. In heaven every creature welcomes God’s rule. In heaven every creature does God’s will. And all of this accomplishes God’s purposes in heaven.
On earth we often fail to honor God’s holiness through worship. We tend to save our worship for heroes. On earth we fail to fully accept God’s rule. We prefer being in charge ourselves. On earth we often ignore God’s will. We have our own projects and plans. All of this thwarts God’s purposes on earth.
When we say the Lord’s Prayer, we are begging for earthly reality to reflect heavenly reality. And we are committing to do our part by following the way of the kingdom as Jesus has taught us.
Lord, so let it be!
Our Father in heaven, may your name be hallowed, your kingdom be established, and your will be accomplished, on earth the same as in heaven. Help us to do our part. Amen.
About the author — Bob Arbogast
Bob Arbogast is the pastor of Celebration Fellowship church in Ionia, Michigan. In his spare time, he plays guitar in a West Michigan blues band. He and his wife Jan have been married forty years and have three adult daughters. Bob has been praying the psalms since 2002.
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