You may turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 6 for a bit of extended application from this morning's sermon. I realize that we've covered the Lord's Prayer, we covered it last year, the beginning of 2012, but I thought this second petition Weighs in well with what we looked at this morning when Jesus says, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray the Lord of the harvest will raise up or send out laborers into his harvest. So this evening I want to, again by way of some extended application, look or focus on the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, which is your kingdom come. But I'll begin reading in chapter six at verse five.
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in the secret place. And your father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them, for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him. In this manner, therefore, 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 forgive our debtors. and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.
Amen. Well, let us pray. Lord, give us grace now as we study again This Lord's Prayer, we know it's a great model, it's a great outline for us in our own private place, in our own closets, and as well for us as a local church. May we indeed see the priority laid out in this prayer.
May we indeed see the wisdom in it, and may you indeed give us the grace to pray it in faith, to realize that you are the God who hears, the God who answers, and the God who gets glory in the lives of His people. We thank you, Father, for supplying and providing your word to us. You've not left us to wonder what prayer looks like. You've not left us to wonder what we ought to say or how we ought to approach you.
The word is so clear. Give us grace and give us obedience as we apply these things. And we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Introduction
Remember, just by way of reminder, the Lord Jesus in this particular section is dealing with religious observance. He deals with almsgiving, with prayer, and with fasting. In this particular section that I read, He deals with the motivation behind prayer. He says that we ought not to be like the hypocrites.
We ought not to be like those people that simply pray so that they can be seen by men. If that is your goal, if that is your desire, then you will have your reward. People will see you and they'll say, wow, what a wonderful man. He prays.
He stands on the street corner. No, Jesus says in terms of our motivation, it ought to be God's face. It ought to be God's smile. It ought to be God's ear that we see.
And therefore, we go into our secret place, we go into our room, and there we seek our Father. He then speaks to the manner in which we pray. We're not to use vain repetition the way the heathen do. We're not to think that for our many words, God is somehow indebted to us.
We are not to think that prayer is formula or technique or manipulation, but rather we are to pray using the model that the Lord Jesus prescribes here. Again, the way that we are to take this prayer is not simply to rehearse it or to repeat it several times. Mentioned before, when I was a young man growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, as a penalty, they would tell you, Satan Hail Marys and to our fathers, or 15 Hail Marys and five our fathers. It was a form of chastisement.
It was a form of punishment. It was a form of penalty or atonement for your sins. That's certainly not the way we ought to pray. Rather, we take this model prayer, we look at each of the petitions involved, and there are six of them, and we formulate our prayer life according to this particular model.
In other words, the priority is that God comes first. God's name, God's kingdom, God's will. That ought to be first and foremost in the heart of the believer. We ought to be concerned and jealously concerned with the fact that God is glorified and honored and praised with the coming of his kingdom as we are taught here and with the obedience to his will on earth as it is in heaven.
After we pray God word, then we pray for those things that are fitting for our own life, our own place in God's earth. We pray for provision. Give us this day our daily bread. Under that heading, we can pray for injuries and for illness and temporal challenges and jobs and all that sort of thing.
We then pray for forgiveness. Certainly, as we live in this world, we continue to stand in need of the forgiveness of our God Most High. And then we pray for His protection. In other words, when we leave our closet, when we leave the confines of the church and we go out into this world, we pray that the Lord would lead us not into temptation, but He would deliver us from the power of the evil one, or deliver us from the evil one.
And then doxology ends the prayer. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. So God comes first.
God is glorified throughout. So
Meaning of the Kingdom
let's look at this second petition in the Lord's Prayer, specifically, Your Kingdom Come. And I want to consider three particulars this evening. Actually, two particulars. First of all, the meaning of His kingdom, and then secondly, some particulars involved, some suggestions on how to employ this petition in our prayer life with reference to the individual, the church, and the world.
But first of all, with reference to the meaning of his kingdom. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself that? In Matthew 4, when Jesus embarks on his public ministry, he says, repent for the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Remember that when John the Baptist preaches, he says the very same thing.
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Have you ever asked the question, what is the kingdom of heaven? What is the kingdom of God? If you've asked that question, then you're in good company.
Certainly all students of the Bible ought to ask, what does this mean with reference to your kingdom come? Well, there's three ways that kingdom is referred to in the Scripture. Three ways that kingdom, or the kingdom of God, is referred to in the Scripture. And the
God's Universal Kingdom
first refers to God's universal kingdom. God's universal kingdom, His comprehensive rule, His comprehensive reign over all things. He made this world and everything in it, and He governs it. He is the regent, He is the king of kings, He is the Lord of lords.
The Lord God rules over all things in a comprehensive manner. The Puritan Watson refers to this as the providential kingdom. God's rule in providence. God's government over all things.
And there are various passages in the scripture that flesh out this meaning of God's universal ruler reign. Psalm 95 verse 3. It says, for the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. So you see, it is right to ascribe to the Lord Most High rule and kingdom and kingship.
Psalm 103, verse 19. You remember that Psalm of David where he starts off and he says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless His holy name. He then repeats, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of his benefits.
So having committed himself to blessing God, he then rehearses or recalls the benefits of God. Those serve as arguments or as reasons why he ought to bless the Lord. or he ought to speak well of the Lord. And he crowns that psalm with this statement. In Psalm 103, verse 19, it says, The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
His comprehensive, sovereign rule over all His creatures and over all their actions. The prophet Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 7 asks this question, Who would not fear you, O king of the nations? For indeed it is your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.
This is picked up in Revelation chapter 15, verse 4. Again, the question comes, Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy, for all nations shall come and worship before you, for your judgments have been manifested. So it is right to ascribe to the Lord God Most High universal, comprehensive rule and reign, sovereignly administered from His throne in heaven.
And of course, this must be the view of the kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar had in mind when he spoke these words. He says, and at the end of the time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever. He said, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.
He does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to him, what have you done? Great statement from Nebuchadnezzar there in Daniel 4, verses 34 and 35. A recognition, the absolute sovereignty and the comprehensive glory of God Most High in His function as the King over all things.
But secondly, the
The Kingdom of Grace: Already Present
scripture recognizes the Kingdom of Heaven in an already present sense. in an already-having-arrived sense. Theologians refer to this as the already. Watson, again, calls it the kingdom of grace. Again, Matthew 4, 17, Jesus says, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And the idea here is not so much one of place, but rather of reign, God's rule. God's reign over His people in this kingdom of grace. It's not specifically geography that's in view. It's not specifically palaces that are in view.
It's not specifically drawbridges or moats or armed guards or anything like that. But it is the rule and the reign of God Most High in this already present sense that His kingdom has erupted into this particular age. George Eldon Labb describes it this way. He says, the majority of exegetes have recognized that the central meaning of kingdom, as of the Hebrew word, is the abstract or dynamic idea of reign, rule, or dominion, rather than the concrete idea of realm.
So it's not realm, it's not location, it's not geography. It is the reign of God Most High in the lives of His people. You see this fleshed out in Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12 at verse 28.
Jesus says, if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, which He had, He didn't do it by the Beelzebub as he was being accused of having doing. But he says, if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. In other words, it is broken into this age. With the advent of Christ, with the first coming of the Lord Jesus, the kingdom of God has come.
It is already present. In other words, when we pray, Thy kingdom come, probably partially we're praying for the increase of this aspect. That through the preaching of the gospel, through the salvation of sinners, through the edification of saints, that kingdom that is already present would be more felt, would be more realized, and would be more recognized among the people of God. France says the time of God's effective sovereignty has arrived and now is the time for decisive action in response.
We are not praying for the kingdom to start in this petition, but to grow in its increase, to grow in its influence, to grow in its power, to grow in its comprehensive application in all of the earth. So thy kingdom come, means that we pray for the successful preaching of the gospel, the conversion of sinners, the edification of saints, and the increasing rule of Christ to be seen and known in this world. And then
The Kingdom of Glory: Not Yet
there is a third way that the kingdom is referred to in the scripture. This is the not yet. See, we've already entered into the kingdom, but it's not yet fully consummated. Obviously, we are not in heaven.
Last week, there was a bombing at a marathon. Last week, there was murders all over the place. Obviously, we're not in that final glory. And so this consummated glory, this consummated kingdom is referred to by Watson as the kingdom of glory.
This is the one spoken of by Paul, or this is the aspect rather, spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. You may turn there. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 20. to 28. Again, just establishing the meaning of God's kingdom in this second petition. Because if we don't know what that means, we'll certainly not pray accordingly.
But if we understand what it means, then hopefully we will pray accordingly and we will apply ourselves to that model prayer when we remember our Lord's word, pray, that the Lord of the harvest would raise up or would send out laborers into his harvest. Notice in 1 Corinthians 15-20. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's it is coming. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father. When, or we might translate after, he puts an end to all rule and authority and power.
For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." Isn't that beautiful? Just by way of a brief observation. Death is going to be destroyed.
I had the privilege of ministering at the old folks' home on Wednesday, and they like that. Maybe it's because they're closer to that concept of death. But, you know, we live in a world filled with death. We live in a world filled with sorrow.
We live in a world filled with pain and suffering. I mean, unless you've been living, you know, on the moon for the last week, you've certainly been confronted with the reality of wickedness. You've certainly been confronted with the carnage of man. You've been confronted with this reality of total depravity.
And what we find the Apostle Paul saying is that when Jesus comes, he's going to destroy death itself. Isn't that beautiful? That final enemy is going to be destroyed. Please do not forget that.
Please make that a part of your happy life. Make that something that gives you encouragement. Death is going to be destroyed. There's going to come a day when Jesus ushers in this new heavens and this new earth where there will be no more death.
There'll be no more madmen bombing people. There'll be no more abortion. There'll be no more euthanasia. There'll be no more drive-by shootings.
There'll be no more death of loved ones. It's not going to be the case in the New Jerusalem that people die. God Himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes. God Himself will feed His people.
God will give drink to His people. God will comfort His people. God will be with His people. Did you hear the prophet Isaiah in chapter 25 tonight?
He's indicating those things. Sounds like John the Apostle in Revelation 21, when he sees that new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. You see, the biblical authors, the biblical men and women of God, have always wanted that blessed eschaton. that state, that consummated glory, that kingdom of God Most High to so affect and so overrule this world. It is a blessed truth that we are coming to a day when Jesus Christ is going to destroy death.
Verse 27, 4, He has put all things under His feet. But when He says all things are put under Him, it is evident that He who put all things under Him is accepted. Now, when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him, who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. This is that not yet aspect.
This is that kingdom of glory. This is that reality that we are waiting for. So when we bring this back to our closets and we bring this back to our church prayer meetings, how ought we to pray?
Praying the Kingdom: The Individual
Well, that brings us secondly to some particulars. First, for the individual. How should we pray? Thy kingdom come.
Now, I'm not suggesting that I have a corner on this. I have some Puritans that helped me in this area quite a bit, Watson and Manton, those brothers that had these thoughts. But I think they're pretty evident just in terms of this petition, the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, and us as individuals, you in your closet, me in my closet.
Pray for Gospel Preaching
First of all, pray for the preaching of the gospel in order that God's name would be hallowed. Right? The first petition is this, Hallowed be thy name. Well, how is that going to happen?
How is God's name going to be glorified unless the kingdom increase? Unless the kingdom expand? Unless more and more blasphemers are entered in to that blessed Zion through the gospel of Jesus Christ? We are to pray for the preaching of the gospel in order that God's name would be glorified.
In the language of the prophet Isaiah, we are to give him no rest till he establishes and till he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62 verse 7. Isn't that a great way to approach prayer? Give him no rest.
Be the importunate widow. Be that Luke 18 woman that continues to come to that judge, that judge who does not fear God, that judge who does not regard men, but then ultimately answers the widow's petition, lest she weary me with her constant asking. What does Jesus draw from that by implication? He says, hear the unjust judge.
He goes on to say, shall not God avenge his own elect who cry to him day and night? We ought to give him no rest till he establishes and till he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. So pray for the preaching of the gospel in order that God's name may be glorified. That's first.
Pray for the Conversion of Sinners
Secondly, pray for the preaching of the gospel in order that God may save more sinners. Notice the specific order. God's glory and then sinners. God's glorified by the salvation of sinners, to be sure, but we want to be God-centered in our prayer lives.
Brethren, pray. I don't know if you have to write it down on a piece of paper. That's okay. If you have to keep a journal or a notebook, that's okay.
If you have to write it in some of the blank spots in your Bible, that's okay. But give him no rest with reference to individual sinners that you would like to see converted and added to the kingdom. That's legit. That's what we ought to be praying.
If Jesus says, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest, certainly we can pray God, may it be the case that this person is saved.
Pray for a Kingdom Mindset
Thirdly, Pray in your own individual lives for a kingdom-oriented mindset. If we're praying, thy kingdom come, then we are expressing something of a desire to live in light of, to live consistent with that kingdom. What is the fundamental or one of the fundamental principles or governing principles of kingdom life that we saw when we were in Matthew chapter 6? Let me just refresh your memory.
It's found in verse 33. Jesus says, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. In other words, be conspicuously, be jealously, and be earnestly God-centered in your life. If we are going to pray, Thy kingdom come, then we ought to be those who imbibe the principles of that blessed kingdom And so we need to pray.
It's not going to happen normally or naturally. We're not going to just walk out and be holy. Wouldn't that be great? Just walk out and be holy.
We sing the hymn, take time to be holy. Notice it's not walk out and be holy. You've got to take time to be holy. You've got to inculcate holiness.
You've got to pray specifically. You have to ask the Father to create these things in your heart. You've got to pray for the presence of the Spirit so that you will indeed seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. You won't be focused primarily on food and shelter and clothing.
Those things are secondary. Those things will be added to the kingdom citizen who puts God first. We need to pray this way.
Pray for Peace in the Church
Fourthly, we need to pray for the peace of God to rule in Zion. And Zion is an interesting term in the scripture. It is the city of David. It is where God's rule was located presently in Israel of old.
Zion in the Psalter, Zion applied in the New Testament comes to be used of the church. And what I mean by that is as individuals pray for peace in your church. pray that we would all endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace according to Ephesians 4.1. In other words, the gospel, preaching, sinners saved, saints edified, all of that will flourish in a context of peace, of unity, of harmony. You know, we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4.
What is it that grieves the Holy Spirit? If I were to ask you, write down five things that grieve the Holy Spirit. Maybe you're like me. You'd say, well, murdering people, committing adultery with people, stealing from people, slandering people.
All those things, those things that we might consider are big sins, big crimes. Those are what really grieves the Spirit. If you look there for just a moment at Ephesians 4.30, the apostle tells us what grieves the spirit. Ephesians 4.30, I'm not suggesting murder and adultery don't grieve the spirit.
They do. But that's not what's in view in Ephesians 4. Verse 30, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
In other words, within the context and the life of the covenant community, in the context and the life of the Church of Jesus Christ, Zion, we are not to speak ill of one another, we are not to engage in bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking. We are to put away malice. We are to inculcate. We are to develop.
We are to put on. We are to practice what is found in verse 32. It is in this context that gospel preaching is to go forth. So that if a sinner wanders in, or if somebody unconverted is here, it's not like the Spirit is grieved because the people of God can't get along with each other.
Verse 32. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." So pray for the peace of God to rule in Zion. And then
Pray for Loyalty to the King
fifthly and finally, with reference to our own closets, pray for loyalty in your subjection to the King. Pray for loyalty in your subjection to the King. God, help me to obey. Help me to honor you.
Help me to serve you. Help me to glorify you. Again, it's not the case that we just wander around doing those things which are pleasing to God. Do we?
Maybe you do. I don't know. Maybe you're that godly. You just got the Midas touch.
Everything you touch turns to gold. Everything you do is holy. And God just smiles down upon it. But for the rest of us, slobs, we need to pray and ask God to help us.
Help me obey, help me to long for, help me to honor my King. 1 Thessalonians 2.11 and 12, as you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. In other words, if we're going to pray, Thy kingdom come, Lord help me to walk worthy of that kingdom. James 2.8, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well.
So in sum, we pray for the kingdom's increase, influence, protection, and peace as individuals.
Praying the Kingdom: The Church
Secondly, with reference to the church, when we take this petition by Kingdom Come, what ought we to think in terms of the corporate prayer meeting? We ought to pray our church would be committed to the scripture. Please pray that. Please pray that we will be doctrinally faithful in exposition of the word, in the administration of the ordinances, in discipline, in worship.
God in heaven, you have spoken. God in heaven, you have given your word. God in heaven, you have given your marching orders for Zion, and we don't have the right to depart. We don't have the right to be creative.
We don't have the right to be innovators. We don't have the right to substitute the things that you've decreed for your worship. God defines what acceptable worship is. God prescribes the manner of it with reverence and godly fear.
Lord in heaven, give us grace to be committed to Scripture. Help us not to just pay lip service to this Word, but rather let us be committed to Scripture. Secondly, let us maintain faithfulness and purity in doctrine. If Jesus felt compassion for those multitudes because they were like sheep having no shepherd, as I mentioned this morning, the onus fell, or the emphasis lie, on the fact that the religious teachers were not preaching truth.
Those men could not be expected to cast out demons. Those men could not be expected to cast out sickness. Those men could not be expected to heal disease. They were demanded to preach the truth, and when they neglected that, Jesus saw the sheep as harassed and beaten down.
So God and heaven give us purity in doctrine. 1 Timothy 3. 1 Timothy 3.2, the elder, the bishop, must be apt to teach. 1 Timothy 3.15, the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Timothy 4, 6, he says, continue in them, by doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. Throughout the pastoral epistles, the emphasis falls upon the purity of doctrine. So pray for a commitment to scripture, pray for purity in doctrine, pray thirdly for faithful officers, faithful officers. Here's Manton in his comment.
He says, we should pray that God would give us pastors after his own heart. We don't need more buffoons. We don't need more CEOs. We don't need managers.
We need preachers. We've missed this. I saw something the other day. Someone said, you know, most pastors are called to lead and they've never taken classes on leading, or something like that.
Now, I'm not saying that everybody who ever takes a class on leading is wicked and horrible, but I think the pastor would be better served reading Mantine, expounding the Lord's Prayer. How do pastors lead the church? Is it because they've got the seven principles? They've read Stephen Covey?
They've read all the latest leadership manuals? No, they lead through the exposition of God's Word. That's the way the Bible envisions it. Manton says we should pray that God would give us pastors after his own heart.
Matthew 9.38, pray ye the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Manton says men that will discharge their duty with all faithfulness, men whose hearts are set to building up Christ's kingdom. We need men of God, qualified by God, measured by the church, thrust out into the harvest to preach the word, to pray for the flock, and to do the tasks that the Lord God Almighty has given unto them. So as individuals, pray this way.
As churches, pray this way.
Praying the Kingdom: The World
For the world, we ought to pray. Westminster Larger Catechism says that the true religion be countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate. I think we're far away from that, but we might certainly pray, let the magistrate leave us alone. They may not countenance us, they might not maintain us at this particular point in time, but certainly we can pray, let them leave us alone.
We ought not to be afraid to preach against homosexuality. We ought not to be afraid to preach against abortion. We ought not to be afraid to preach against fractional reserve banking. We ought not to be afraid to preach against poor fiscal policy, because that is theft.
We shouldn't be threatened by the magistrate of going to jail because we preach the truth. Pray to the Lord God Most High. According to the Apostle Paul in 1st Timothy 2, we are to pray for kings and for authorities, for those who have rule over us, that we might lead peaceable and quiet lives. We ought to pray that God would protect his kingdom on earth through his sovereign power even in spite of encroaching influences.
Calvin says the substance of this prayer is that God would enlighten the world by the light of his word, would form the hearts of men by the influences of his spirit to obey his justice, and would restore to order by the gracious exercise of his power all the disorder that exists in the world. You see, when we pray, thy kingdom come, we are praying that this world stands in need of more of God. Well, brethren, that is a brief exposition of the Second Petition, Thy Kingdom Come.
Application
Probably the best way to conclude is just to read the larger catechism. I already mentioned a portion of 191. It says, what do we pray for in the second petition? If you don't remember what I'm about to read, you can just type Westminster Larger, just WLC.
You don't have to type Westminster Larger Catechism anymore. Isn't Google and, well, Bing, isn't that good? Just WLC191. That's all you got to do.
Just get that in your head. I'm going to read it because I want you to hear it, but just get WLC191. This is a great exposition or explanation of the second petition. What do we pray for in the second petition?
In the second petition, which is Thy Kingdom Come, acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed. Isn't that what we're praying? Thy Kingdom Come? Destroy!
Satan, destroy sin. The gospel propagated throughout the world. The Jews called, Romans 11, after the fullness of the Gentiles, then all Israel will be saved. Many of the divines at Westminster were post-millennial and they had a view of a future ethnic conversion of Jews based on Romans chapter 11.
That's why it says the Jews called. the fullness of the Gentiles brought in, the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate, that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted. Christ would rule in our hearts here, that already kingdom, and hasten the time of his second coming, that not yet kingdom, and are reigning with him forever, and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world as may best conduce to these ends. It's a great statement, a great explanation. Some great things to consider as we approach the second petition in the Lord's Prayer.
Thy kingdom come. When the Lord of glory in Matthew 9 tells us we ought to pray, Let us come back to this prayer, this model prayer, that sets forth God first and then our particular needs. Let us be conspicuously prioritized according to the mind of Jesus Christ and see that the Father's name, the Father's kingdom, the Father's will is first and foremost in our prayer lives. And if you are here tonight and you do not know the Lord Jesus, again, look at the great lengths He has gone to to explain his concern for and his ultimate desire to save sinners.
All of this should conduce, to use that word we just appealed to or saw in Westminster, larger catechism, to show his heart and his way towards sinners. So believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father in heaven, we do pray that your kingdom would come. We pray that its influence, its increase in our own hearts, Our own lives would be felt, would be seen, would be manifest. And God, we do long for that eschatological coming. We long for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes in the glory of His Father with all of His holy angels. taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and bringing His church, bringing His believers into that New Jerusalem wherein righteousness dwells, wherein death is no more, and sorrow, and pain, and suffering are gone.
Lord, all of these things should promote in us great joy, great encouragement, and a great longing for that day when we will see our King in the fullness of His glory, in the fullness of His majesty. And we pray that you would go with us now, watch over us in this coming week, grant us grace, grant us help, and grant us strength to truly live in light of your kingdom. And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.