As children, those of us of “a certain vintage” began each school day praying the prayer that Jesus taught us.
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. …
Most of us prayed without thinking what we were asking for. “What would it look like if God’s reign came?” “What would it look like if God got what He wanted here and now?” I think it is pretty important to ask these questions, especially since God often gets us involved in the answer to our prayers. (See Matthew 9:35-10:8.) As we head to the polls this week, these questions are important if we want to be involved in God’s answers to the prayer He taught us. We can vote our prayer if we understand what we are praying for.
So if God’s Kingdom came, if His will was done on earth as it is in heaven, what would it look like? What are we praying for? What are we shooting for? What does it look like when heaven comes to earth?
I think one of our best pictures of Kingdom Come is found in a prophecy given through Isaiah five hundred years before Jesus taught us His prayer. It’s found in Isaiah 65:17-25. It’s a picture of heaven come to earth.
17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.
So how do we pray/vote using Isaiah 65 as a guide? There are themes in these verses that may or may not fit into a party’s platform.
Verses17-19 envision a people that God delights in. Jeremiah 9:24 says that God delights in people that practice kindness, justice and righteousness.
Verse 20 envisions good health for the very young and very old. This includes good health care, a healthy environment, and -- since poverty and illness go hand in hand -- a good standard of living for everyone.
Verses 21-23a envision good housing for all and home ownership. They also envision good jobs with livable wages, a connection between work and life, and people owning the means of production. The end of 22 speaks of retiring with dignity.
Verse 23 envisions hope for the future; specifically hope for our children’s future. This would translate into investment in education and not leaving an inheritance of debt.
Verse 24 envisions an intimate relationship with God, which no government can legislate, but they can legislate the freedom to have such a relationship.
Verse 25 envisions true peace and a sense of safety, a reduction in crime and conflict, and unity among all people.
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. …
Most of us prayed without thinking what we were asking for. “What would it look like if God’s reign came?” “What would it look like if God got what He wanted here and now?” I think it is pretty important to ask these questions, especially since God often gets us involved in the answer to our prayers. (See Matthew 9:35-10:8.) As we head to the polls this week, these questions are important if we want to be involved in God’s answers to the prayer He taught us. We can vote our prayer if we understand what we are praying for.
So if God’s Kingdom came, if His will was done on earth as it is in heaven, what would it look like? What are we praying for? What are we shooting for? What does it look like when heaven comes to earth?
I think one of our best pictures of Kingdom Come is found in a prophecy given through Isaiah five hundred years before Jesus taught us His prayer. It’s found in Isaiah 65:17-25. It’s a picture of heaven come to earth.
17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.
So how do we pray/vote using Isaiah 65 as a guide? There are themes in these verses that may or may not fit into a party’s platform.
Verses17-19 envision a people that God delights in. Jeremiah 9:24 says that God delights in people that practice kindness, justice and righteousness.
Verse 20 envisions good health for the very young and very old. This includes good health care, a healthy environment, and -- since poverty and illness go hand in hand -- a good standard of living for everyone.
Verses 21-23a envision good housing for all and home ownership. They also envision good jobs with livable wages, a connection between work and life, and people owning the means of production. The end of 22 speaks of retiring with dignity.
Verse 23 envisions hope for the future; specifically hope for our children’s future. This would translate into investment in education and not leaving an inheritance of debt.
Verse 24 envisions an intimate relationship with God, which no government can legislate, but they can legislate the freedom to have such a relationship.
Verse 25 envisions true peace and a sense of safety, a reduction in crime and conflict, and unity among all people.
When we pray “Your Kingdom come,” this is what we are praying for. When you vote on Monday, is it what you are voting for?
