The Lord's Prayer: Submission

Matthew 6:10

September 22, 2002

 

The second and third petitions (out of six) of the Lord's Prayer very naturally flow out of the first petition. God's name is not hallowed to the ends of the earth, and that affects the praying of kingdom citizens. We see this at every turn. We look at the warring factions throughout the world, the oppression that boggles the imagination, the ruthless treatment of the poor and powerless, and we have no doubt that God's name is not being hallowed. We see the gross idolatry in many nations, the superstitions in others, and the worship of false gods in still others. On the home front we recognize rebellion and the pursuit of sin at every level. We shake our heads at the way morality is scorned and even openly mocked. God's name is not being hallowed to the ends of the earth. The Living God is not recognized. Therefore we pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Because God's name is not hallowed we must pray for his kingdom to come.

 

These two petitions ask for the Lord's rule over our lives and the entire created order to be fully manifested. It is the longing of kingdom citizens - that the kingship of our King might be honored and glorified, and that the whole earth might submit to his rule. Day after day, people of every walk of life pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done." And probably there is no phrase - no prayer - more abused and misunderstood as this one. Yet millions pray this petition today without any careful thought that to pray this without desiring it is taking the Lord's name in vain.

 

But kingdom citizens must be different. The content of the Sermon on the Mount informs us of the character, behavior, and demands upon kingdom citizens. Asking, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done," is in the here-and-now a plea for the full description of kingdom life in this Sermon to be fully displayed in our lives. And beyond this, it is a jealous desire for the rule of our Lord to encompass every life, so that every knee is bent in submission to his Lordship. Kingdom citizens long to see the kingdom of God extended into every life and corner of the globe. Thus we pray concerning the kingdom of God and his will. How does such praying affect your life and the world about you?

 

I. An eternal kingdom

 

The subject of God's kingdom spans both Testaments. The first verse in the Bible declares God as Creator, and thus as the Sovereign Lord of the universe. Nothing falls outside his divine rule and authority. The end of the book of Revelation hears the promise of Christ's return to bring his kingdom to its consummation, echoed by John praying, "Amen. Come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

 

With the current emphasis on the gospel as the means to self-improvement or greater comforts in life, it seems that the predominance of the kingdom has slipped from much of our thought. Certainly there are those that consider social action toward the poor and oppressed to be the extent of God's kingdom. And there are those that look at the kingdom as something that is completely futuristic, and belonging only to converted Jews. But the emphasis in Scripture is upon the reality of God's reign. The fallen angels, and the consequent fall of humanity have assaulted this reign. Though it has been assaulted, God's rule has never diminished, abated, or succumbed to the hostility of devils, dictators, and empires. The kingdom of our God stands forever!

 

So, in light of this, we are instructed by Christ to give priority in our praying to matters of the kingdom. Nothing is more unsettling and more wondrous as God's kingdom. When we pray about the kingdom we are not left the same; all of life is affected.

 

1. Your kingdom

 

First we must consider what is meant by the opening phrase, "Your kingdom." Various explanations have been put forth among the broad theological traditions. The biblical emphasis is always upon the active kingship or active rule of the Lord. Rather than "kingdom" being a place with borders, a wall, a palace, and royal advisors, as we would think of an earthly kingdom, the kingdom of God transcends all human barriers and obstacles so that the Lord rules with omnipotence over all his creation. 

 

a. King's sphere. The emphasis that Christ gives is not upon "our kingdom" or the kingdom of the world, but the fact that it is God's kingdom. James Montgomery Boice wrote, "Perhaps the most important thing to be said about the kingdom of God is that it is God's kingdom. That means it is far above the kingdoms of men and is infinitely superior to them" [Foundations of the Christian Faith, 306]. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states simply, "The kingdom of God really means the reign of God; it means the law and the rule of God" [The Sermon on the Mount, vol. II, 63]. In this sense we realize that the kingdom of God came in a unique way with the Incarnation, for the King of Glory came among humanity to exercise his rule. He was already exercising his rule over humanity - since "all things have been created through Him and for Him ... and in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:16-17) - but now announced the kingdom's arrival in Christ's advent. That is why we find John the Baptist preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is in your midst" (3:2, lit.), and why our Lord did the same as he came into Galilee, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand [has come near you]; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). 

 

Additionally, the kingdom of God has been found through the centuries in the hearts of God's elect. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:3). Rather than a future look at this point our Lord declares that those who have come to the place of recognizing their own spiritual bankruptcy, having cast themselves upon the tender mercies of the Lord, have become kingdom citizens. And thus Jesus Christ explains the character and behavior of kingdom citizens in this Sermon, and reiterates the law for kingdom citizenship. 

 

The kingdom also has future (eschatological) dimensions: we do not yet see nor experience the full measure of the kingdom of God. For the time will come when "every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11). At that time, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever," as John heard the voices in heaven declaring (Rev 11:15). 

 

b. King's rule. Some nations have kings that merely bear the title without any real authority to rule sovereignly over the particular nation. We see this in the United Kingdom, with the king or queen (as in present case) vested with ceremonial power though no authority to dictate the affairs of nation. But this is not the case with the King of God's kingdom. He is a king that actually rules over the affairs of men, accomplishing his purposes and fulfilling his promises by the might of his power. His rule, unlike that of earthly potentates, is exercised in complete fidelity and righteousness. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne," the Psalmist tells us (97:2). "God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne" (Ps 47:8). And in the wonderful kingly Psalm 45, we are told, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness" (45:6-7).

 

So as the sovereign ruler of the universe we find that he rules by his works of providence. The Abstract of Principles, our doctrinal statement, explains what this means:

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any wise to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures [Article IV].


Many of those during the colonial era had a firm grasp on God's providence, but some faltered. Benjamin Franklin, a Deist, maintained a lengthy relationship with the evangelical leader, George Whitefield, respecting and appreciating Whitefield's ministry, though never responding to his gospel pleas. Late in Whitefield's life, Franklin wrote him a letter bemoaning the friction between Britain and the American colonies. With America coming on the short side of every British decision, Franklin demurred that since America was such a small thing, God had let it slip through his rule of providence with the result that Britain was getting the upper hand at every turn, saying, "Our particular little affairs are perhaps below notice." Franklin's biographer did not offer Whitefield's reply, but you can be assured that he reminded Franklin that God's works of providence are not to accommodate our whims but to carry out his great purposes for all peoples and all creation [H. W. Brand, The First American, 420]. And indeed, Franklin's comment was due to his deficient understanding of the might and purposes of our God.

 

The Lord also rules by his commands. He has set forth in the moral law - the Ten Commandments - what he demands of all humanity. While the civil and ceremonial law given through Moses applied specifically to Israel, the moral law summarized in the Ten Commandments was given for all people. It is the basis for establishing a just, sane society. It is the foundation for establishing good relationships and the ethical treatment of all people. Good character is built upon adherence to the law of God. The Decalogue (Ten Words) is evidence that the rule of the Lord over humanity is a just and moral rule. Any infraction against his law is a violation of divine rule, and a denial of his kingship over all creation.

 

But we also know that the rule of God's law exposes the inadequacies of our own hearts. The desire to do the will of God is not natural to us apart from grace. We wantonly rebel against God's law as enemies of his rule over our lives. As Paul reminds us, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, ... because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom 8:6-8). The law, in this case, becomes a "tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith" (Gal 3:24). For only by the regenerating work and indwelling of God's Spirit can we have a new love for God's law - and thus delight in God's rule over our lives. There is only one reason why anyone would despise the rule of God: his mind has not been changed by the new birth to delight in the law of God (Rom 7:22) as a loyal subject of the Great King.

 

c. King's triumph. But if God is ruling then why do we see so much evil in the world? That is a common question that Christians hear from the unbelieving. And the answer is quite simple. The full measure and triumph of God's reign will not be seen until the consummation of the ages when Jesus Christ returns, putting "all His enemies under His feet" (I Cor 15:25), and "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." He then "will reign forever and ever," and there will be no assaults upon his reign nor questioning his rule, nor will there be reluctance to obey (Rev 11:15). We wait that day in which our King will be revealed from heaven with the archangel's shout and the trumpet of God, when he comes in mighty power to claim his universal rule (I Thes 4:16). John's picture of that triumphant day says it all:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war [responsibilities of kings]. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems [showing the totality of his reign]; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev 19:11-16).


 2. Let it come

 

In light of the fact of the Lord's kingdom, how are we to pray: "Your kingdom come." I want to point out three ways that we are to pray about God's kingdom on a regular basis.

 

a. Mission prayer. This prayer is a missionary prayer. "The prayer looks for God to take action, not for worshipers to bring the kingdom into being" [Leon Morris, The Gospel of Matthew, 145]. I am sometime asked, 'since God is sovereign in salvation, are we to pray for the lost?' The answer is clear: YES! This prayer is a heart cry for the Lord to extend his mighty hand to save. We are commanded to pray for the salvation of others, even of those across the globe, by the implications in this prayer. In his book, Let the Nations be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions, John Piper explains that prayer must be seen as a wartime walkie-talkie rather than a domestic intercom for creature comforts. By this he means that we are to recognize that we are in a constant spiritual conflict, and a raging conflict for the souls of men. God has given us the instrument of prayer to call upon him to give us boldness to proclaim the Word of God (Acts 4:29-31), and to send forth workers into the harvest (Matt 9:37-38). We are to pray in concert with the divine decrees that the nations have been given to the Lord Jesus Christ as his inheritance (Ps 2:8). Instead we often think of prayer as nothing more than a domestic intercom to call for another glass of tea or a softer pillow for our head. Do you pray for the lost? Do you pray specifically for peoples throughout the world to come to the knowledge of Christ? Do you pray for God's mighty saving power to be extended into the strongholds of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Animism, and the countless other slave-masters in the world? "Your kingdom come" calls for our praying to extend to the peoples of the world without Christ.

 

b. Personal prayer. "Your kingdom come," also causes us to reflect upon how we are personally living under the rule of Christ. This is a call to give attention to our own submission to Christ's authority over us, whether for personal or family life, work or social life, church or relationships. We are to pray about our obedience to the will of the Lord. Do you pray about your own obedience? Do you ask the Holy Spirit to expose hidden sins or deceitful motives that are latent in your own soul? Do you plead with the Lord for strength and grace to obey? What Christ exhorts us to do is to be conscious every day, and every time we pray, of living like kingdom citizens.

 

c. Affectionate prayer. What I mean by affectionate prayer is that we are to have such a love for Christ and a desire to see his kingdom extended to the ends of the earth, and such a desire to see sin finally conquered and extinguished with every enemy under the feet of Christ, that we pray for Christ's return. With the Apostle Paul we pray, "Maranatha," 'O Lord come!' (I Cor 16:22). It is living with and praying for the blessed hope of Christ's return (Titus 2:12).

 

II. A sovereign will

 

The third petition of the Lord's Prayer is really a continuation and an application of the second petition. We pray for his kingdom to come so that in every way, by every person, in every situation, his will may be done on earth in the same way it is done in heaven. "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." John tells us "that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (I John 5:19). The whole bent of the world is to rebel against God. Peter Lewis explains that the world, in this sense, is "society constructed so as to keep God out of its affairs, society in its determined and deliberate godlessness" [The Lord's Prayer: On Our Knees and in His Arms, 80-81]. So we pray in the face of the deliberate attempt of the world's rebellion that God's kingdom come and his will be done just like it is in heaven.

 

1. Your will

 

We can divide the will of God into two areas for consideration: his eternal purposes that he is working out as he unfolds history, and the specific, ethical issues related to righteousness that we find clearly stated in the commands of the King.

 

a. King's purposes. In praying for the Lord's will to be done, we are to consciously consider that it is the Lord that has set the boundaries of the nations, and that has established the events of history. Our praying for his will to be done brings our minds into line with loving and appreciating his will. The scene in Revelation 4 of the Lamb taking the scroll that was sealed with seven seals "from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne," reminds us that the Lord is carefully and completely unfolding his purposes among the nations. We are not to be fretful, even in difficult times, for we are reminded that our Lord reigns in the affairs of men.

 

b. King's commands. Perhaps more prominent in this prayer is the kingdom citizen's desire to see the King obeyed. Unlike the prayer concerning the Lord's kingdom come, this prayer for his will to be done is not for the consummation of the ages. During that time there will be no need to give instructions about murder, anger, adultery, lust, divorce, and revenge, for none of those things will be present. Instead, this is a prayer for God's will to be done now. It is that deep longing to see all men give unfeigned obedience to the King. The day will come when God's commands will be perfectly followed with complete ease, and without any opposition by evil. But until that day, we are told to pray, "Your will be done, on earth as in heaven."

 

The gift of grace in Christ does not free us from obedience but gives us the motivation for obedience to the will of God (Rom 6:1-2). The gospel impels us to obedient submission to God's will. As kingdom citizens we must live with the consciousness of obediently following our King's commands, living righteously and godly in this present evil age until we put off all sin in his presence (Titus 2:12).

 

2. Let it be done

 

The language of this petition, as well as the second, calls upon the Lord to work in his might to bring about his kingdom and his will. It reveals our own impotency in doing the will of God. We are confronted with our weakness and proneness to wander from God's will. So we call upon the Lord to so work in our lives, in our churches, and in the world that his will is displayed with magnificent brilliance.

 

a. In me. Don Carson's exposition of this text offers two critical responsibilities that we are committing ourselves to when we pray this prayer. "First of all, we are committing ourselves to learning all we can about his will. That means sustained and humble study of the Scriptures." God has revealed his will to us in the Holy Scriptures. You will not find God's will written in the sky, but recorded on the pages of the Bible to read, study, memorize, and meditate upon. Carson adds, "It pains me to hear Christians insist on the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures, if those same Christians do not diligently work at learning the Scriptures." Do you regularly study and dig into God's Word? Do you seek to learn what the Lord has told you to do?

 

The second responsibility makes the first more personal. "If my heart hunger is that God's will be done then praying this prayer is also my pledge that, so help me God, by his grace I will do his will, as much as I know it!" This is no ritual prayer but a deep commitment to be obedient to the Lord's will. Are you serious about obedience? Does this show up in how and what you pray? To ask his will to be done affects my disposition and discipline toward the commands of the King [The Sermon on the Mount, 67].

 

b. In the church. We are also praying for God's will to be done by the body of Christ. We recognize that the church is made up of weak people, just like us, that need a constant supply of God's grace so that we might stay on course. So we pray for the church to walk in the will of God, to be sensitive to the divine mandates upon us, to walk in purity and unity, to be a display of God's glory in the community, to be salt and light in the world. We are to faithfully, regularly pray for one another in the body that we might all walk in the will of God. Will you do this if you are not already praying for one another?

 

c. In the world. In this sense we are praying for God's will to take place throughout the nations. As we pray concerning the developing situation with Iraq or the circumstances in the Middle East or the coup in Ivory Coast or the famine in Zambia, we are to seek for God's will to be unfolded. We are to pray for God's mercy to be extended, for his righteousness to be revealed, and that from "every tongue, tribe, people, and nation," he might call out a people for himself (Rev 5:9). Does your praying go beyond your own circle to focus upon what God is doing in the world?

 

 Conclusion

 

We are to keep in mind that the model prayer does not tell us the specifics of what to pray but rather how to pray. Determine to reorder your prayer life to pray as Christ has shown us, and by all means, to pray faithfully, pray persistently, pray boldly, and pray believingly to the end that the nations might bow in submission to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

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