This week we saw how Jesus’ prayer teaches us to align our prayers with God’s priorities, audaciously believe in God’s power, and actively commit to God’s purposes.

First, Jesus’ prayer begins focused on God and his priorities. Before we ask for what we need or want, we ask that his Name be hallowed, that his Kingdom will come, and that his will be done.

God’s priority is to bring his Kingdom, to establish his people living in the place he made for them, under his rule and blessing. This is the true story of the world from Creation, fall (Kingdom lost), Israel (Kingdom foreshadowed), to the ministry of Jesus (Kingdom Come). Through his death and resurrection, he defeats sin and death and makes a way for us to be restored from rebels to children and citizens.

Praying this way takes humility but also provides hope, even in suffering. For one day the kingdom of the world will become the Kingdom of God and of his Christ, and God will wipe every tear from every eye.

Second, Jesus teaches us to pray while audaciously believing in the power of God. “Thy Kingdom come” is a huge prayer, and it invites us to pray God-sized prayers. Paul asked for the churches to support him in prayer—and he needed those prayers to fulfill the God-sized vision and calling to take the gospel to the other side of the world (Spain, Rom 15) and perhaps even to preach the Gospel before Caesar (Acts 26-28)! We should pray audaciously big kingdom prayers!

Finally, we pray actively committed to God’s purposes. If we pray “Thy will be done” it implies “…in my life.” The prayer is also an invitation to be part of God’s answer to prayer as we care for one another, give, and serve.  

How will you pray differently this week?