September 28, 2010











Thy Kingdom Come





By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.





After Jesus was arrested and questioned by the high priest, he was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor. But Jesus refused to be intimidated and told Pilate,"My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).



The kingdom of God is all-encompassing. It is present in the lives of those who willingly submit to His rule. It is a future kingdom where Jesus will rule supreme--not only in our lives, but also over the new heaven and earth.



When we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are asking for His rule to extend to every area of our lives. However, if we pick and choose those areas to submit to Him, we limit His power.



Through this prayer, we also are asking for God to work in the lives of others. There are those who never have made a commitment to the Savior--family members, friends, and co-workers who never have experienced God's saving grace.



By praying this prayer, we express our longing for His second coming. As believers, we should have a natural desire to be in God's presence. Our citizenship is in heaven, not on this earth (Philippians 3:20).



You may know Christ as Savior, but perhaps you have never made a serious commitment to Him as your living Lord. Maybe you have blocked off areas of your life from His rule. If this is the case, then you are not fully experiencing His love and power.



No matter what your situation may be, you can come to Christ today and ask Him to be the Lord of your life. When you draw near to God, He draws near to you. Take the opportunity to experience a glimpse of heaven while you are still here on earth.





Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

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