Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
I grew up saying the Lord’s prayer before bed every night. My mom would tuck me in and we would recite Matthew 6:9-13 together as my droopy eyes shut and my words slurred into sleepy sentences neither of us understood. This prayer has been ingrained into my mind but I have never taken the time to really understand the impact of these words.
This month the Lord highlighted a specific line from the prayer to me that I have been meditating on since arriving in Colombia.
Thy Kingdom Come
Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven
What does this even mean and how does it apply to my life?
I have said these words over and over my whole life and never actually considered what I am asking of God. What I have found is that this is a dangerous and bold prayer. This is a prayer that will cause our whole world to shift. Saying this prayer is not some small ask, it is a life-altering statement.
Thy Kingdom come means we recognize God as the one true King with an almighty kingdom. He is a God who reigns with love, justice, mercy and power. He is a king who is capable to do anything.
Usually people with power are hard to get a hold of. Making an appointment with the President or even the mayor is a hard task. However, with the King of the world we have all access all the time. Therefore God wants us to come to him with any and all requests. He wants us to express every thought and desire to him. But I have learned that our prayers are going to be more effective if they are aligned with his heart and with his will.
God did not just send down his son to save us from a broken world in order to take us up to Heaven. He sent down his son to save us so we could bring Heaven to Earth. He gives us his same spirit so we can receive the same authority and power he has. He uses us as a vessel to bless others with his overflowing love and with the gifts that he has in store for all of us.
So what is God’s will? What does it look like to align our hearts with his? We can read his will in scripture, we can find it in his character and through his son Jesus. His will for us includes:
Healing (James 5:14-15)
Restoration (isaih 61:7)
Forgiveness (colossions 3:13)
Community ( 1 corinthians 1:10)
Love (1 John 4:16)
Peace (colossions 3:15)
& so much more…
This is what the Lord intended for us to have, not just in Heaven but on earth.
We can have all of this here and now. This is crazy!!!
This month I have gotten a glimpse of Heaven. I have gotten to see the Kingdom Come.
The ministry I am working with this month is a homeless, shelter, rehab, school and bakery all in one. All of the ministries are on different floors of the building and it is placed in a sweet neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia. Here in Colombia there is a similar societal system to India. The people are labeled from status 1-6 based on their income. The people on the street are 1’s and are not considered worthy of even sharing the same toilet as other statuses.
Here at the ministry they have a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday night church service for the people in the rehab, the shelter and the surrounding community. There are many missionaries in the service who have come here to volunteer from all over the world as well.
This past Sunday service I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my face from deep gratitude and in awe of what I got to be apart of. To really see the Kingdom Come. I was standing in the back of a packed room (the same space where the homeless sleep every night) and was so moved by the power of Jesus. God is the only person I have ever known to bring together such diverse cultures, statuses, backgrounds, ages and put us into one room to become equals. It didn’t matter what we were wearing or the sin we had committed the day before. It didn’t matter how much money you had or what language you spoke. It didn’t matter how you were raised or what your profession was. All that mattered was Jesus.
I stood there feeling so humbled. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. No human could bring these people together. No human could make us feel equally loved and completely accepted. No human could put me into tears by the way he or she speaks so intimately to me and everyone around me. Only our Father.
Only Jesus could know and love every single one of us. Only God has the power to heal us. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to show us our individual worth all at the same time. This is what it means to be a son and daughter of the one true King. A king who has the power to let His glorious Kingdom come.
As I worshipped and weeped I couldn’t help but ask myself, Lord what is your will in my life?
What is it that you want to do through me? I love you and I am willing to do anything, but if there is something specific please tell me. If your will includes seeing more of your kingdom like tonight then I want in.
I have been praying a lot about what life after the race is going to look like and what I should do next. I have been asking God what “his will is” for the next step. I have heard a few things from him, but not confirmation on another big move. This has been frustrating but it has been a time that has allowed me to be more dependent and trusting that he will speak in his own time. I have been doing my best not to make a move on my own because I know God’s plan is so much greater, but it is hard to wait. My flesh wants to make plans. My flesh is obsessed with knowing my future.
As humans we long for what God has not revealed to us. Even when he has spoken for the here and now, we look to what is next. In order to truly live out God’s will we need to surrender everything to the one who is in control. We have to let go of all our dreams and expectations and put them at his altar. This is something I have really struggled with. How do I give up a dream that I think God gave me? Shouldn’t I pursue it?
But God tells us “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)
He has spoken for here and now. Not tomorrow, so stop trying to get there.
For me right now the Lord still has me on the race. With only two weeks left I have become so curious and anxious about what home will look like. But His will for me is to be here. His will is for me is to finish the race well and continue being present with my community here. My mission is not finished.
As for home, all I have gotten is that I am supposed to be in Denver. I am going to travel around for the 2 months following the race in the US. I will be visiting family and friends and debriefing my time on the field. Starting in September I will be living at home for a little while as I make money and wait for God to speak and confirm what I am supposed to do after that. I could be back on the field, staying in Denver, moving somewhere else in the states… I am not sure. I will wait patiently as I listen for God’s will. Of course, I have ideal plans and dreams but I am learning to open my hands in surrender to the one who is in control.
Father,
I pray that your kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray that whatever you have planned for me, I can trust it will bring you the most glory. I pray that as I grow closer with you in relationship, I can see more of your kingdom. I pray you can use me as your vessel so more people can experience your kingdom too. Lord I want my heart to reflect yours. I want to be interruptible to where you call me to do whatever you need me to do. I pray this dangerous prayer as I know my world might be flipped upside down. I know that praying this prayer means no more linear paths but a life full of unexpected adventure. I know that asking your kingdom to come means boldness to fight and speak up for the voiceless, to chase after the lost and to constantly pursue your glory. I pray that everyday I can choose to surrender my fleshly desire to know my future and to know more of you instead. I am willing and I am ready to live for you and to see this prayer unfold in my life. I love you and know your worth the pain, the unknown and the waiting in the in-between. Thank you for using me for your glorious work. I love you with all my heart.
AMEN,
Regan
