Kingdom Lost, Kingdom Longing, Kingdom Coming

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9-10)The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer for what we desire in two senses. First, the coming of God’s kingdom is the longing of the human heart (whether we realize it or not). So it is a prayer for the very thing we desire. But in truth, while we long for what only God’s kingdom can bring, we often long to receive it by our own power, or through other means than God. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is the ways of death.” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25)Secondly, it is a prayer for shaping our desires. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) Of course, if you remain in Him and His words remain in you, your desires will be formed into longing for the kingdom of God to come.Join us as we take a step back, before our missional priorities, and explore the answers to questions such as: What is the Kingdom of God? Why do we long for it? Why do we pray about it? What difference will it make?