Kingdom-Focused Prayer and your life
Matthew 6:9-10
With over eighty New Testament references to the kingdom of God made by Jesus, it is clear that our Lord considered the subject to be taken seriously. What does the kingdom of God mean? It is not a reference to a certain geographical territory. Simply put, the kingdom of God is the reign of God by His authority.
Two rival kingdoms
There are two rival kingdoms in this world- the kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan. Satan's kingdom of darkness and evil is opposed to God's authority and glory. Kingdom prayer expresses the desire for the devil's kingdom to be demolished, and sends the devil a message that you have read and understood the last chapter.
Then there is God's kingdomscripture describes God as the " great king above all gods"(Psalm 95:3) and as the "King of glory"( Psalm 24:10). His kingdom is one of grace and glory. When you pray " Thy kingdom come", you show your desire for His grace to increase and for His kingdom to flourish in your own heart and in the hearts of all men.
God's kingdom is both present and future. It is present wherever Jesus is present. Christ said the kingdom of God is within you or in your midst. (Luke 17:21). Yet, God's kingdom is also future in that it is incomplete.Our world still contains lost people in rebellion against God and governments that do not acknowledge Him as king, resulting in widespread misery. For this reason we must understand the meaning and importancee of kingdom-focused prayer.
How to pray kingdom-focused prayers
When things that are eternal become your focus above things that are temporary, you have a new outlook on life. You want to reach the place in your prayer life where the name of God will be glorified and the purposes of God magnified over everything. A prayer warrior's primary focus adjusts from things that are temporal to things that are forever. Kingdom-focused prayer has the following characteristics:
a) A focus on the will of God and matters of eternal consequences.
b) An expressed desire for all men to acknowledge God as king.
c) A pleading for spiritual awakening and true revival throughout the world.
d) A desire to see spiritual maturity among church members and leaders.
e) A longing for all men to render loving, willing, and glad obedience to God.
f) A heart felt desire for His kingdom to be promoted in every department of social life, and in all governments and nations.
g) Specific, personal, persistent intercession for the lost.
h) An unselfish and humble attitude, and a willingness to fast as directed by the Spirit.
i) A petition for righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romanss 14:17).
Kingdom-focused prayer may be divided into five specific areas of extreme importance: God's rule in your heart, God'ss rule in your family, God's rule in your church, the spread of the gospel throughout the world, and the return of Jesus Christ.
1) Praying for God's rule in your heart
The prayer for God to rule in your heart must precede prayer for His rule in any other place or person. (Psalm 66:18) says " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."It should be your desire for your personal king to rule your thought life, your behavior, and your attitude. It should be your desire to yield gladly to His authority and to give Him full allegiance. His kingdom comes into your heart to the extent that you adore and worship Him and are led by His Spirit.
The following verses may be used when praying daily for God's rule in your heart:
2 Chronicles 7:14-15; Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30; Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5 :15; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:22
2) Praying for God's rule in your family
It is the duty of every man to make certain that God rules in his own heart, so that in turn God can rule in his family. The bible tells us that God's rule in our homes is extremely important. Everry relationship in the home- the marriage relationship, the relationship between parents and children, the relationship between siblings, and the relationship with additional family members- needs to be under God's rule. The prayer "thy kingdom come" means that we desire to be just as close to the Father in our private lives as we are in our public lives. Daily family prayer and worship times should be established and maintained in every christian home. The following verses may be used when praying for God's daily rule in your family:
Joshua 24:14-15; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 24:3-4; Isaiah 54:13; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colssians 3:18-21; 2 Timothy 1:12
3) Praying for God's rule in your church
The local church is under relentless attack from the enemy because of it's significant role in the establishment of God's kingdom Even with all it's faults, the church still has the potential to do more for the kingdom of God than any other institution or organization. The following list can serve as a guide, but you should also pray specifically for your pastor's needs whenever unique circumstances arise in his life, in the church, or in the community.
a) Pray for your pastor to remain in the discipline of a daily quiet time for his own bebefits, rather than mainly for the benefit for others.
b) Pray for your pastor to prioritize his life with a discerning mind.
c) Pray for your pastor to be holy in every way.
d) Pray for your pastor to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill his minstry calling
e)Praying fo your pastor's family by name, for health, protection and blessing.
f) Pray for your pastor's preaching and teaching to be prepared in the closet of prayer, and delivered in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit.
g)Pray that your pastor will be delivered out of the lion's mouth.
h) Pray that your pastor will not become boastful, manipulative, or jealous.
i) Pray for God to set a guard over your pastor's mouth.
j)Pray that your pastor will be unhindered by feelings of failure and rejection.
k) Pray for God to forgive those who hurt and unjustly critisize your pastor.
l) Pray for your pasto's burden for lost souls to deepen.
m) Pray that your pastor's decision making will be the result of time spent in much prayer.
n) Pray for your pastor to resist following human traditions or religion that denies the power of God.
Your church staff, your deacons, and elders, your lay leadership, the missionaries and ministers you have sent out- should all be prayed for daily by name. God's rule in your church will be accomplished best through leadership that listens to and relies on Him. Praying for God's rule in your church begins with inviting the Holy spirit to bring powerful conviction of sin upon each individual. Unconfessed, unrepented sin in the camp robs the church of power and purity. Always remember that obeying Jesus' instructions found in (Matthew 18:15-17)- when done with a Christ-like compassionate spirit for the purpose of restoration- produces a cleansing effect on the congregation that permits God to do something lasting and powerful among you. The following verses may be used when praying daily for God's rule in your church:
Isaiah 56:7; Ezekial 33:30-33; Acts 6: 1-4; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 1:9-14; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Timothy 2:1-4
4) Praying for the spread of the gospel throughout the world
Praying people into the kingdom of God must become your priority because salvation was God's primary reason for sending His Son into the worrld(John 3:16-17). Therefore (Matthew 28: 18-20) is known as the great commision not the great suggestion. J.Sidlow Baxter said it well:"Men may spurn our appeal, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our person, but they are helpless against our prayers." "thy kingdom come" means praying for and rejoicing over evangelistic and mission work throughout the world. "God bless all the missionaries" is not a prayer that will have much effect. Pray specifically for more laborers (Luke 10:2), For safety, health, boldness, opportunity, success and favor among those sharing the good news, for the conversion of lost men, women, boys, and girls. Pray for the families of those who have recently died while serving on the mission fields. Pray that God's kingdom may come to every country and people group on earth. And don't forget to pray that God would use your witness, your boldness. your obedience, and your words to enlarge His kingdom where he has placed you at the present time.The following verses may be used when praying daily for the spread of the gospel throughout the world:
Psalm2:8; Matthew 28: 18-290; Luke 10:2: John 3:16-17; Romans 10:1; 1 Tomothy2: 1-4; 2 Timothy 2:26
5) Praying for the return of Jesus Christ
"Thy kingdom come" means asking for the return of Jesus Christto establish His kingdom on earth. The last prayer recorded in scripture is a prayer for the return of Jesus Christ:"Come,Lord Jesus " (Revelation 22:20).
Do you hope Jesus will tarry until some selfish desire is fulfilled or some self-centered goal is achieved in your life? God forbid! The heart of every true believer should long for the day when our Lord Jesus will come back again, and when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdoms of God and of His Christ!The following may be used when praying daily for the return of Jesus Christ:
Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:13; Luke 12:37; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6,23; Titus 2:13; Revelation 22:20-21
When God's rule comes to your heart, your family, and His church, the revival and spiritual awkening that occurs will without question overflow into the surrounding community. Kingdom-focused prayer- the prayer that puts the focus on God's priorities- brings you into a closer, more intimate relationship with the Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment