Seeking The Kingdom预览

The Sine qua non of Kingdom Seeking In Jesus’ instruction concerning prayer we can identify three qualifying criteria for using prayer as the starting-point and context for seeking the Kingdom of God. First, prayer for the coming of God’s Kingdom must be continuous and expectant. The prayer that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 is meant to be a pattern for all our prayers. In Luke’s account of this prayer Jesus begins by saying, “When you pray…” The Greek word, hotan, means literally, “whenever” or “as often as.” Thus Jesus intends that we should make prayer for the coming of God’s Kingdom part of all our prayers. And when we pray, seeking the Kingdom of God, we should pray expectantly, that is, with specific reference to particular areas of our lives, seeking more of the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit for everything we do, all day long. Second, Jesus’ teaching about prayer counsels us specifically to request the coming of the Kingdom on earth, that is, here and now. Call upon the Lord to supply the power of His Spirit to enable you to be a conduit of righteousness, peace, and joy in all you do. Finally, Jesus provides us with a standard for seeking His Kingdom: that it might come into our daily lives and activities as a reflection of the way saints and angels carry out their submission to King Jesus in His heavenly court. Make Kingdom-advancing plans for every activity of your day. Ask the Father for specific Kingdom prompts in every situation, and commit yourself to instant and complete obedience. Review every activity, every day, in silent meditation before the Lord, looking back to discern the ways He made His Kingdom presence known in that situation. Kingdom-seeking begins in prayer, or there won’t be much Kingdom-finding in our lives. Next steps: Begin praying for the Kingdom of God more consistently in your life. Do you find that doing so makes you more mindful of “Kingdom-seeking” opportunities? Do you see more evidence of the Kingdom advancing in your Personal Mission Field? Share your thoughts about this with a Christian friend.