“For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen”
“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Jesus (Matthew 6:33)
“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.'” (John 3:3)
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His Son He loves, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13, 14)
There is a Kingdom beyond the kingdoms of this world. It is The Kingdom of God. It is the eternal Kingdom where God reigns supreme in His holiness. It is where His will is done without question and without delay. I am not talking about any kingdom of this world. There is a Kingdom that is God’s Kingdom. This place where God rules is taught throughout Scripture and Jesus reminds us of that Truth here in the ending statement of the Lord’s Prayer… “For Thine is the Kingdom”
The amazing…Good News of the Gospel is that we are invited to be a part of this Kingdom. We are encouraged to “seek” it. We are given the process of getting into it or “seeing” it. We must be “born again,” Jesus said! It is a new beginning when there is a death to the old self…the reign of the old kingdom and a new start as citizens of a new Kingdom. We are even told of how that is possible…through the forgiveness of sins available in Jesus Christ!
We need to be reminded everyday of this Kingdom of God. This knowledge should be a source of hope for all believers as we walk in this world around us. It should change our perspective and the way we relate to those around us.
We also need to be reminded that this is a “Kingdom”. God is King. Heaven is not a democracy. Those who are part of that Kingdom submit themselves to the Lordship of the King…Jesus. This phrase in the prayer points us back to every phrase we have prayed to this point. Each focuses on the authority of God and our humble submission to His Will. It is the recognition that it is about His Kingdom not ours. It is about lining up our thoughts and actions and words with His.
As you pray the prayer today, think about being willing to go where He leads…do what He asks…say what He would…and be an effective ambassador of His Kingdom.