“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
This is how Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6. Not with empty phrases. Not with many words. But with reverence. With awe. And with a request.
The very first request in the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t ask for a thing this world has to offer. Not provision. Not protection. Not daily bread. The first item on the prayer list is this: Father, Your kingdom come.
Not just any kingdom. Our Father’s kingdom.
So what does that even mean?
Out of This World
Most western nations are democracies, governed by elected officials. But Jesus refers to heaven not as a democracy or a republic, but as a kingdom. And Our Loving Father as its sovereign king.
In Bible times, kingdoms were common. Each Caesar was an autocratic dictator, a position held for life. The Roman Empire had many regions with kings over each, like King Herod the Great in Palestine. Herod completed the new Temple in Jerusalem about 15 years before Jesus was born. He also slaughtered the male children in Bethlehem under two years of age when the wise men came seeking a newborn king.
Herod’s kingdom: not Our Father’s kingdom. Caesar’s empire: not Our Father’s kingdom.
There is not a nation or institution on this planet that is Our Father’s kingdom. It is out of this world.
In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus told the Pharisees: “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:50: “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
Read 1 Corinthians 15:50 (ESV)
The kingdom of God is not earthly. Not perishable. Not flesh and blood. The kingdom of God is spiritual. While on trial in John 18:36, Jesus told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
It can’t be seen on a GPS or found on a treasure map. It’s not in our borders, our tribe, or our media. It’s not in our laws, our leaders, or our institutions. God’s kingdom is spiritual and is found with Him alone.
Discussion
- Why do you think people are tempted to look for God’s kingdom in earthly things, like politics, national identity, or cultural movements?
- What shifts when you start thinking of God’s kingdom as spiritual rather than territorial?
Key Takeaways
- Our Father’s kingdom is not of this world. It can’t be located on a map or claimed by a nation. It is spiritual, not political.
- No earthly institution is God’s kingdom. When any group claims to be, that’s a counterfeit. The kingdom belongs to God alone.
Seek It First and Seek It Earnestly
A few moments after teaching the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus reassured his disciples: “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Seek Our Father’s kingdom. Seek it first. Seek it earnestly.
But how do you know what you’re looking for? Scripture gives four hallmarks.
First, Our Father’s kingdom is good news for the world. In Luke 4:42-44, Jesus said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” People might ignore the message. But if the message sounds like bad news, if it’s judgmental or angry, something’s off.
Second, Our Father’s kingdom blooms organically and is bountiful. In Matthew 13, Jesus describes the kingdom using parables: a man who plants wheat in a field (v. 24), a mustard seed that becomes a tree (v. 31), and leaven that rises flour (v. 33). Each of these things bloom and grow bountifully over time. They never recede. If it looks like someone is in the spotlight asserting control over others and not letting them spiritually develop, it’s not Our Father’s kingdom.
Third, Our Father’s kingdom is inconspicuous. It has great value that is not clearly visible. Hidden treasure (v. 44). A priceless pearl (v. 45). A net full of fish (v. 47). Each of these is something of value, concealed and drawn to the open.
Fourth, Our Father’s kingdom draws lots of very different people together. Luke 13:29 says, “People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Not one nation. Every nation. Not one tribe. All tribes. All people. All languages. Clothed in white robes. Crying “Salvation!”
Distinct, but not divided. United in Our Father’s kingdom, and not some other.
Paul says in Colossians 3:8-11: “Put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. … Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”
Angry? Put it away. Slanderous? Knock it off. Put that stuff away. Be renewed. Put on the new self, after the image of Your Creator.
Discussion
- Which of the four hallmarks is easiest to spot? Which is most often counterfeited?
- What would it look like to “seek first” the kingdom in your daily routine this week?
Key Takeaways
- The kingdom is good news, organic, inconspicuous, and diverse. These four markers help distinguish the real thing from a counterfeit.
- Anger, tribalism, and slander have no place in the kingdom. Paul says put them away. Christ is all, and in all.
We Have a Dual Role: Offspring and Ambassadors
Jesus said that to even enter the kingdom, we must receive it like a child. Because when we pray, we open: Our Father. We are His offspring. We aren’t coming to a dictator like Herod or an emperor like Caesar. We aren’t coming to a president or a prime minister. We are coming to our heavenly Father, like a child. We are family. And to approach this kingdom, we must do so with the faith and innocence of a child.
In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Paul writes: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)
Notice that word “controls.” The Greek word is synecho (sunekho), meaning stop, arrest, compel, preoccupy. Those who walk by faith are preoccupied with Christ’s love. His love controls us. His love for us. His love for others. God is love, and the expression of His love is His will for our lives.
Fear is not a terrible motivation for faith. But only love is a lasting motivator. If you love the Lord and spend time with Him daily, old things will pass away. All things will become new. But if you focus on fear rather than love, the enemy will get you hung up on the don’ts, and not the do’s.
James 1:22-25 says be a doer of the word, not hearers only. This is faith. Our actions toward God and others demonstrate faith, especially to those who are in need.
Not only are we God’s offspring who look like Our Father. We are His ambassadors. And our ministry is reconciliation.
In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation … Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”
Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV)
An ambassador is an official envoy, a diplomat, an authorized representative of a government. Just like the U.S. has ambassadors abroad and foreign ambassadors here, we too are ambassadors for Our Father’s kingdom. We are foreigners here on earth. Our duty is delivering messages to outsiders from Our King and persuading them with the good news.
Colossians 4:5-6 says: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
To do the work of an ambassador, you’ve got to go outside the embassy. Beyond the church. Beyond your home. Engage outsiders where they are.
Colossians 1:13-14 says: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
We, being redeemed, have been transferred into Our Father’s kingdom. We are there in Him. He is in us. And it is our duty to invite others.
Hebrews 12:28 says: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”
A kingdom that cannot be shaken. When you think of the promises that await beyond this life, that peace can’t be shaken. And it causes us to worship.
Don’t settle for a counterfeit. Don’t settle for the kingdoms of this world. Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Don’t look back on the world and long for the past. Don’t put your faith in earthly things. Keep your eyes forward and your hand to the plow. This world is not your home.
Discussion
- What does it look like to approach God with the faith and innocence of a child?
- Where in your daily life can you engage outsiders as an ambassador of the kingdom?
Key Takeaways
- We are offspring first, ambassadors second. Before any duty or mission, we are children of Our Father. That relationship is primary.
- Love, not fear, is the lasting motivator. The Greek word synecho tells us Christ’s love arrests, compels, and preoccupies. Fear may start the journey. Love sustains it.
- The ambassador’s job is reconciliation. Not winning arguments. Not cultural conquest. Delivering a message of good news to outsiders with grace.
Something to Sit With
Our Father’s kingdom is not of this world. It’s spiritual. It blooms organically. It draws different people together under one King.
We are invited to seek it first. Before provision. Before security. Before the anxieties that keep us up at night.
And we have a dual role. Children who approach the Father with simple faith. Ambassadors who carry His message to the world.
Don’t settle for a counterfeit. Don’t put your hope in earthly kingdoms. Keep your hand to the plow. This world is not your home.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Your kingdom come” mean in the Lord’s Prayer?
“Your kingdom come” is a request for God’s rule and reign to be realized. Jesus placed it as the very first request in the Lord’s Prayer, before provision or protection. It’s an invitation for God’s spiritual kingdom to advance in hearts and lives, not a call for earthly political power.
Is the kingdom of God the same as the kingdom of heaven?
In Scripture, “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” refer to the same reality. Matthew tends to use “kingdom of heaven” while Luke and Paul use “kingdom of God.” Both point to God’s spiritual reign, which is not tied to geography, politics, or earthly institutions.
What are the hallmarks of God’s kingdom according to the Bible?
Jesus described His kingdom through parables and teaching. Four hallmarks emerge: it is good news for the world, it blooms organically and bountifully over time, it is inconspicuous with hidden value, and it draws diverse people from every nation and tongue together under one King.
What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?
Paul calls believers “ambassadors for Christ” in 2 Corinthians 5:20. An ambassador is an authorized representative of a government. Believers represent God’s kingdom on earth, carrying a message of reconciliation. The job is to engage outsiders with grace and persuade them with good news.
How do we seek God’s kingdom first in everyday life?
Seeking the kingdom first means prioritizing God’s reign over daily anxieties about food, clothing, and provision. Practically, it means spending time with God, walking by faith, loving others, and engaging the world as His ambassador rather than living only for personal comfort or earthly security.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.