PRESENTER'S NOTES

Let’s get started by turning right away to Matthew 6…

Matthew 6: 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 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.

I believe it is safe to assume that all of our brethren share in great expectation, and with great anticipation, the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus will return to reign on earth for 1000 years (Revelation 20:6). We are pilgrims in a hostile land, yet we are called upon to reflect the love and forgiveness of God in that very same land. When we chose to follow Christ, we chose struggle against spiritual enemies. We chose to learn patience as we learn to overcome. We chose to give up EVERYTHING hinging on a promise to us. Let’s look at just one example of the promise in Romans 8…

 Romans 8: 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us

Continuing…

23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
But, is the Millennium, as we like to call it, the end of the story? Is the request in the prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” applying to that future time of Christ’s rule on earth?

1 Corinthians 15: 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

How do we grow to think like God in matters of salvation? How we understand the model prayer may influence that growth.

When we read the Lord’s Prayer, we find a short list of requests, and I believe they are listed by priority. When we communicate, all propriety aside, we have a tendency to bring up first that which is most on our minds, that which is most important to us. When being social we will have a tendency to go from the other direction, least important to most. But, when we are intimate, we focus on what is most in our heart.

Going back to the contents of the prayer… After acknowledging the holiness of the Father, Christ exemplifies to us a guideline of requests:

1. Your kingdom come and your will be done EVERYWHERE
2. Keep us alive as life is needed to overcome
3. Forgive us as we forgive others
4. Remove temptation and protect us from evil

We could say that the last request leads to the request before, and so on, ending with the ultimate request for the Father’s kingdom to come AND the Father’s will to be done EVERYWHERE. (Review in backward order.) And, yet, since this is an intimate communication, the ultimate request is placed first in the prayer.

So, revisiting 1 Corinthians 15…

1 Corinthians 15: 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

Why might it matter what we envision when asking for the Father to bring His kingdom to earth?

If I focus on Christ’s return, I focus on a very, very important event. That Return ushers in a time of peace with Satan bound and my being born into the family of God. God’s destiny for ME and my brethren will then be fulfilled.

Let’s turn, though, to 1 Timothy…

1 Timothy 2: 1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(Again, asking the question above.) But, if, instead of the Millennium, in my prayer, I focus on the coming of the Father’s kingdom as the prayer actually states, I focus on ALL THINGS FULFILLED! I focus on ALL THINGS MADE NEW (Revelation 21)!! I focus on the same hope held by our Savior, that ALL WILL BE SAVED!!!

If my mind cuts to the chase (the climax of God’s plan) daily in my requests to God, God can better prepare me, DAILY, for representing His kingdom.

How is that, might you ask?

Let’s turn back to Matthew 6, remembering the Lord’s Prayer as we (reed) read Jesus’ conclusion on the matter of prayer…

Matthew 6: 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

If I’m thinking only of my own salvation and of my brethren’s, I suggest it can be harder to release the desire for justice toward those who have done great evils, whether as individuals or people groups practicing abuses towards others in human history or whether as individuals in our personal lives who left deep scars.

If my focus is only on the first resurrection, I’m not seeing the fulfillment of history as God sees it. God’s mindset from the beginning has been through indomitable love to forgive in hopes that all will be saved.

If my prayer begins with a kingdom in mind that has all things made new, it will become easier for God by His Spirit to give me a heart of forgiveness beyond what is humanly reasonable. If I have in mind the perfect will of God to forgive anything repented of in the entirety of GOD’S TIMELINE, I am asking a prayer that provides a better vision of hope for ALL, making it easier to truly forgive ahead of time just as Christ forgave us.

Those who have done evil in God’s sight ALL must come to repentance to ACCEPT that forgiveness already offered, but the ACT of forgiveness has already occurred. (BLOB –S. McQueen- or DOOR) You and I benefited and do benefit from that act of salvation which occurred almost 2000 years before we were born. If we cannot forgive others, then we cannot truly accept the forgiveness of God offered. In conclusion, keep in mind and heart God’s vision when asking for the Father’s Kingdom to come, and that mindset will make forgiveness of others here and now much easier.