By E.L. Thornton

Matt 6:9-13 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The Lord’s prayer is nothing more than a skeleton or an outline for prayer. Jesus never intended for us to use His exact words, because He knew that after a while the these exact words would become vain words, empty sentences, and come from a heart that was not in them. No! I believe that God desires for us to sincerely pray from our hearts, using words that are not repetitious, but using words that will express exactly what we feel.

To use the Lords prayer over and over would soon become boring, redundant, superfluous, loquacious and plethoric. But to branch out in words for our prayer becomes exciting and stimulating to our faith, it is enticement to God to answer, and it is piquant (pe kent) and agreeable pungent and tasteful to the soul.

Notice the “Our Father which art in Heaven,” shows God’s superiority in the things of this world. It tells us He is higher in position, rank and authority. It tells us that He has a greater ability. It also tells us that He is unaffected by this world and that He does not yield to this world.

To say “Hallowed be thy name” means that we look on Him and honor Him as being Holy and Sacred. It means that we revere and adulate Him as a supreme being. It would do us good if we began every prayer with these thoughts in mind.

But what I need you to take a close look at, in this prayer, is this “THY KINGDOM COME. These words has really intrigued me, these three words have fascinated me and captivated my thoughts for the last few days. And then I have become perplexed. Perplexed, because the written message is clear and after some thought the implied message becomes clear. It became clear to Jesus in the Garden at His last prayer when He said NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE. The implied message is MY KINGDOM GO. You, nor I, can pray THY KINGDOM COME, unless we are willing to pray MY KINGDOM GO.

Prayer is not, or should not be, just words that we say in order to fill up a space of time to say that we have prayed. But prayer was designed, by God, for man, to meet the needs of man on earth. It’s man communicating with God and God communicating with man.

We pray to open our understanding to God’s will for our lives on this earth. There is a God’s will for you but you will never find it without sincerely going to God in prayer. Do you know what the Bible is all about? If we had to sum the Bible into one scripture, I think it would be, James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Many of us want to say with our lips, “Jesus is King of my life,” but under our piquant breath we say, ” but I’m prime minister.” We want to keep a little control. But Jesus will be Lord of all or not Lord at all.

Jesus is called Savior 33 times in the New Testament and Lord over 400 times.

The word Lord means Master. Is it possible to know Him as Savior and not know Him as Master?

I have made a new commitment to God and that is to turn the reigns of my life over to Jesus. I have a desire to be led by His spirit. And I want to be motivated by spiritual things.

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” God’s Kingdom is not built according to the kingdoms of earth. God’s Kingdom is not run like the kingdoms of earth. God’s Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom and must operate in His spirit.

Paul adds to this subject by saying, Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

I. Let’s talk about what the Kingdom of God is not, shall we?

Some people live 100% by this meat and drink philosophy. They are controlled by, and every thing is predicated on the meat and drink philosophy. They live by external forms. They live by the carnality. Greed, passion, desire, pleasure, lust, selfishness and sometimes hate rules their lives.

But this Kingdom that I’m talking about is “Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It’s allowing God to have full control.

Thy Kingdom come, my kingdom go! Well why can’t both kingdoms be had? It’s impossible! for Paul flings at us these words in Rom 8:7-8 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

There’s been those who had to relinquish their “meat and drink” to please God and if I please God my kingdom must go. When the Queen saw Solomon “there was no more spirit in her. (1 K 10:5) Her personal kingdom left her. Things she had been holding on to left her. Then she worshipped Solomon’s God. Her old spirit died.

II. Examples of people that gave up their kingdom:

To Abraham God spoke Gen 12:1 “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”

Abraham didn’t have a church to help him pray about this, he didn’t have a preacher to encourage him. All he heard was a voice saying “you’ve got to give up your kingdom of idols and disbelief. You’ve got to give up you kingdom of family and friends. You’ve got to give up your attachments to the world.

And the Bible says that he went out not knowing were he was going. It’s a good thing he wasn’t a Pentecostal. We have to have a clear cut picture of what to do. We will need some security before we go out. Go out not knowing were? Not us Pentecostals.

Joseph had some “human rights.” He could have cried and given up. He lost every thing he had but his interigity with God. Lord give us the spirit of Joseph.

Some people stumble over rocks and crags, climb vertical cliffs, cross hot desserts, swim swelling tides on the road to human success. But will stumble, fall and give up over a feather that’s been place by the will of God in their path.

Esther, you’ve finally arrived. You’ve finally found your place. You finally have a kingdom. You don’t have to live off your Uncle Mordecai no more. You’re not an orphan now, you’re the Queen.

III. If His Kingdom comes my kingdom will go:

I think Jesus was tempted to build a kingdom. He was dragged before Pilate and was asked “are you a King,” Jesus answered “My Kingdom is not of this world or my servants would fight for me.” There! He thought about it, His own Kingdom. He was great enough to do it, But He was great enough not to do it.

They jeered at Him while He was on the cross, “If you be who you say you are come down from the cross and save thyself.” But He couldn’t come down and pick me up too, He couldn’t save Himself and me too, and I’m glad He choose to save me.

Some will not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither”

Are you ready to pray “Thy Kingdom come, my kingdom go?”

It must come from the heart. Because it’s possible to turn loose with you hands but hold on with you heart. Such was the case of Paul’s friend Demas. Paul said “he’s left be having loved this present world. The implication is, he love his kingdom. Sodom was about to be destroyed. God sent Angels to get Lot and Family out of that city. Angels are the best leadership.

The Angels took them by the hands and dragged them out. Even with Angelic leadership some people still can’t seem to live a Godly life. The Church can drag you just so far. If it’s got to be a continual phone call or a visit to your house to get you to live for God. You just as well quit now because I have my doubts that you will make it because you don’t love God.

Mrs. Lot got her body out but didn’t get her heart out. Her heart stayed in Sodom.

If “His Kingdom comes,” into your life, you will have to make a clean break, and purpose in you heart to go though.

Matt 6:28-34 “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.