This Week's Devotional | 2004 Devotionals | 2005 Devotionals

Devotional For the Week 31st January 2005

Sermon Title: The Lord’s Prayer (Part 2)
Scripture Text: Matthew: 6:9-13

Thy kingdom come, 
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

There is a story that goes like this: On a foggy night at sea, the ship’s captain saw what appeared to be the lights of another ship heading toward him. He instructed his signalman to contact the other ship by signal light. He sent the message: “Change your course ten degrees to the north.”

The reply came, “Change your course ten degrees to the south.”

The captain responded, “I am a captain. Change your course ten degrees to the north.”

The reply came again, “I am a seaman first class. You change your course ten degrees to the south.”

The captain was furious. He had his signalman reply, “I am a battleship. You change your course ten degrees to the north.”

The quick reply came: “I am a lighthouse. You change your course ten degrees to the south.”

What a twist! The story leads us to ask a critical question: What point of reference do we have to evaluate who we are? Why are we here? Where we are going? In other words, who is the centre of our lives? 

1. “Your kingdom come”

When Jesus talks about the kingdom of God in the second verse of the Lord’s Prayer, He refers to the reign or rule of God. 

When we pray this verse, we express the intent to submit gladly to God, pull down our little kingdoms and yield fruit of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

It also means active action on our part to reach out to the people who live outside of God’s kingdom. Jesus says in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved and whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

2. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

“Your will be done” is the description of Jesus’ life, a life which is totally surrendered to God His Father. 

Jesus says, “My food … is to do the will of Him who sent me….” (John 4:34) or “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.” (John 6:38)

To pray this prayer is to acknowledge that there is a purpose greater than our greatest ambition, a priority that is greater than our very lives. It means to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first. (Matthew 6:33)

In Exodus 9:16, God told Moses that he had a destiny, “But I have raised you up for this very purpose that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 

Praying for God’s will directs us to the very purposes of God. We are basically asking for God’s will to be done in our lives and in the world. Prayer is not getting God to do my will. Prayer is asking God for His will to be done in my life, my family, my business, my relationship, and in the world, as it is done in heaven.

We have to recognise that to live on this earth is to live in a realm that is controlled by Satan. For us to live according to God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven is to do so in enemy territory. For this to happen, we must go against current worldview and practices. Stand firm in the Lord’s ways.

Reflection 

John 5:14 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us.” Let us in faith and gladness seek to know God’s purposes and to do His will today.

- Rev Vincent Goh

---