THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE (2 OF 5)
Scripture: MATTHEW 6:10
This content is part of a series.
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done (2 of 5)
Series: Perfecting Prayer's Power
Terry J. Hallock
Matthew 6:10
July 4, 1999
As we continue to allow Jesus to teach us to perfect prayer's power, allow me to describe prayer's purpose. THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS NOT TO CHANGE GOD, BUT TO CHANGE US. Now some folks pray with the expressed purpose of changing God. They're convinced if God were doing His job their life would be exactly as they want it. When they pray they issue demands, give instructions, and threaten to withdraw from God if He doesn't respond as they wish. No matter what I say here, those folks will continue to pray that way. Yet as long as they do their prayers will be a useless exercise of shaking their fists toward Heaven, for the purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us.
That is the truth Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:10. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus said to pray not because God needs us, but because we need Him. Yet in order for the Father's unconditional love and perfect power to fill our lives, we must submit to His authority, not demand that He submit to ours. "YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
In the Greek language of the New Testament the word for "kingdom" is "basileia" which means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule." And the Greek word for "will" is "thelema" meaning "what one wishes or has determined shall be done". Thus Jesus teaches that the first priority of perfected and powerful prayer must be to allow the Father to place us under His royal rule so that what He has determined shall be done is exactly what is done. And may I add all that is done!
It is here where some of us get stubborn hearts and rebellious spirits. We are the products of a culture that celebrates the radical individual. The idea of any form of submission has become an anathema because we are convinced such submission will rob us of our freedom. Yet the truth is t ...
Series: Perfecting Prayer's Power
Terry J. Hallock
Matthew 6:10
July 4, 1999
As we continue to allow Jesus to teach us to perfect prayer's power, allow me to describe prayer's purpose. THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS NOT TO CHANGE GOD, BUT TO CHANGE US. Now some folks pray with the expressed purpose of changing God. They're convinced if God were doing His job their life would be exactly as they want it. When they pray they issue demands, give instructions, and threaten to withdraw from God if He doesn't respond as they wish. No matter what I say here, those folks will continue to pray that way. Yet as long as they do their prayers will be a useless exercise of shaking their fists toward Heaven, for the purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us.
That is the truth Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:10. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus said to pray not because God needs us, but because we need Him. Yet in order for the Father's unconditional love and perfect power to fill our lives, we must submit to His authority, not demand that He submit to ours. "YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
In the Greek language of the New Testament the word for "kingdom" is "basileia" which means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule." And the Greek word for "will" is "thelema" meaning "what one wishes or has determined shall be done". Thus Jesus teaches that the first priority of perfected and powerful prayer must be to allow the Father to place us under His royal rule so that what He has determined shall be done is exactly what is done. And may I add all that is done!
It is here where some of us get stubborn hearts and rebellious spirits. We are the products of a culture that celebrates the radical individual. The idea of any form of submission has become an anathema because we are convinced such submission will rob us of our freedom. Yet the truth is t ...
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