“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
In Matthew 6, this is how Jesus taught us to pray. Not in empty phrases. Not with many words. But He urged us to find a secret place, shut the door and enter the presence of our Father.
Jesus said, when you pray, pray like this: Our Father. In heaven.
And drawing near to the Father with tender words of honor and worship, Jesus says, “Hallowed be your name.”
Our Father is holy. He is pure. He is perfect. He is kind. He is who He is. The Great I Am. He is our Father. He gave His only Son for us. Our Father. In heaven.
And while the Lord’s prayer begins with reverence and awe, The very first request in the Lord’s prayer doesn’t ask for a thing this world has to offer.
It’s not a prayer for us or for anyone else. The first bullet on the prayer list isn’t even for modest provision or daily bread.
At the top of Jesus’ prayer list is this first request: Father. Your kingdom come.
As He shows us how to pray, Jesus desires His Father’s kingdom.
He invites Our Father’s kingdom here. Wow. Not just any kingdom. But Our Father’s Kingdom. So what does that even mean?
I want to unpack what the Bible says about Our Father’s Kingdom.
OUT OF THIS WORLD
We don’t hear about kingdoms all that much these days. The US is a constitutional republic. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. I’ll spare you the civics lesson, but it’s no secret that most western nations are democracies; and are 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.
We’re not as familiar with kingdoms nowadays. But in Bible times, they were common. Each Ceasar was an autocratic dictator, a position held for life. And the Roman Empire had many regions with kings over each, like King Herod the Great in Palestine.
Herod the Great completed the new Temple in Jerusalem about 15 years before Jesus was born.
Herod also slaughtered the male children in Bethlehem under 2 years of age when the wise men came seeking a newborn King. Bad dude.
Herod’s kingdom : not Our Father’s kingdom.
Caesar’s empire : not Our Father’s kingdom.
And here’s a tip: There is not a nation or institution on this planet that is Our Father’s kingdom.
Our Father’s Kingdom 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.”
The kingdom of God is not earthly. It’s not perishable. It’s 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.”
Never forget. Our Father’s kingdom is not of this 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
- “There is not a nation or institution on this planet that is Our Father’s kingdom.” Which one were you half hoping was?
- Jesus told Pilate his servants would be fighting if his kingdom were of this world. What does that rule out for us?
- “It’s not in our borders, our tribe or our media.” Where do you catch yourself looking for it?
SEEK IT FIRST AND SEEK IT EARNESTLY
Not only is Our Father’s kingdom out of this world. But it is something we’re encouraged to seek first, and to seek earnestly.
A few moments after teaching the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus reassured his disciples in Mat 6:31-34.
32 …do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
34 …your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [And] do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
33 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. Okay. But how do I know what I’m looking for? Glad you asked!
What are the hallmarks of Our Father’s Kingdom? And how can you spot a fake?
Our Father’s kingdom is good news for the world
Luke 4:42-44
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke 8:1
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
People might ignore your message. But if your message sounds like bad news (if it’s judgy or angry), you’re doing it wrong.
The second way we can tell between God’s kingdom and a fake is that:
Our Father’s kingdom blooms organically and is bountiful
In Matthew 13, Jesus describes Our Father’s kingdom using parables, starting v 24-33
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
a man who plants wheat in a field (24), a mustard seed that becomes a tree (31), and leaven that rises flour (33).
Each of these things bloom, and grow bountifully over time, and they never recede.
So if it looks like someone else is in the spotlight, asserting control over others and not letting them spiritually develop, it’s not Our Father’s kingdom.
The third way we can tell between God’s kingdom and a fake is that:
Our Father’s kingdom is inconspicuous [has great value that is not clearly visible]
Let’s look at v44-48:
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.
hidden treasure (44), a priceless pearl (45), and a net full of fish (47). Each of these as something of value, concealed and drawn to the open.
And the fourth way we can tell between God’s kingdom and a fake is that:
Our Father’s kingdom draws lots of very different people together
Luke 13:29
And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.
Rev 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying,
“…by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Rev 7:9-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
He didn’t say one nation. He said every nation.
He didn’t say one tribe. He said all tribes. Not just your denomination or party.
All tribes. All people. All languages. Clothed in white robes. Crying “Salvation!”
We are distinct, but not divided. We are united in Our Father’s kingdom, and not some other.
This is what eternity is like. This is what Our Father’s kingdom is like.
So knowing this, what then shall we do? Well Paul tells us in Colossians:
Col 3:8-11
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 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. Spreading conspiracies? C’mon. Put that stuff away. Be renewed. Put on the new self, after the image of Your Creator. Emulate Jesus.
Paul said, unlike in Rome or in Jerusalem, HERE there is no Greek vs Jew drama. HERE there is no barbarian vs Scythian. HERE there is no slave vs free. THIS is the Kingdom of Our Father. Do we want His Kingdom to come? Do we want Christ to be all, and in all? I’m sure you do. Well first, we discussed how Our Father’s Kingdom is out of this world. Second, we discussed how we should seek it first and seek it earnestly.
And the third point I want to share is that, in Our Father’s Kingdom:
Discussion
- Good news, organic growth, hidden value, and every tribe at one table. Which hallmark is missing where you have been looking?
- “If your message sounds like bad news, you’re doing it wrong.” Has yours sounded like bad news lately?
- “We are distinct, but not divided.” Where is that hardest to live out?
WE HAVE A DUAL ROLE: Offspring and Ambassadors
Mark 10:13-16
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Jesus said that to even enter the kingdom, we must receive it like a child. Because remember, when we pray, we open: Our Father. We are His offspring. We are not just coming to a King like Herod or an Emperor like Ceasar. We aren’t coming to a President or a Prime Minister. We are coming to our heavenly father, like a child. That is our primary role. We are family. And to approach this kingdom, we must do so with the faith and innocence of a child.
And like any child, when we carry ourselves like Jesus, when we love others like He did, we look more and more like His offspring. Don’t we?
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
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.
Notice that word control. The love of Christ controls us. In the Greek, the word is synechō (συνέχω) 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.
Because he died for each one of us, we should not live for ourselves, but for the One who died for us. This is how we walk by faith. “Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” So love is how we walk by faith.
Sometimes we lose sight of His love, don’t we? Sometimes we think of God as a judge.
Listen, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Fear is a terrible motivation for faith. 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. When you focus only on the don’ts, you’ll get distracted, you’ll waver, and you’ll more easily stumble in your faith. Don’t focus on the don’ts.
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. But we are His Ambassadors. And our ministry is Reconciliation. Let’s dive into this for a moment.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
So what is an Ambassador?
“official envoy, a diplomat, authorized representative, messenger 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 to persuade them with the good news. How can we be effective ambassadors?
Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Colossians 4:5-6
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, we’ve got to go outside the embassy (beyond the church, beyond our home). We’ve got to engage outsiders where they are, in order to persuade them.
Connect with people outside the church anywhere and anytime you can.
Get interested in their lives, and love them in the name of Jesus.
We’re only in this world for this short time: to walk by faith and to influence others.
Let God know every morning in your quiet time: Here I am, reporting for duty. What’s today’s assignment?
Jesus got involved in the lives of people. Even after his resurrection, it says
Acts 1:3
He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Until the day of His ascension, Our Father’s kingdom was always on His mind.
And now, here we 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.
Isn’t that awesome?
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
When I think that we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, the news becomes noise. This is way better. When you think of the promises that await us beyond this life, that peace can’t be shaken. And it causes us to worship. Our Father. Hallow Your Name. We are in awe.
So don’t settle for a counterfeit. Don’t settle for the kingdoms of this world. Take your mind off the media. Take your eyes off the news.
Luke 9:62
Jesus said to him, “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.
1 Peter 2:9-16
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Jesus didn’t take the political bait to try and overthrow the empire. He will return some day, as he promised. And on that day, we will hear what John recorded in
Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Discussion
- Receive the kingdom like a child. What does a grown adult have to put down to do that?
- Ambassadors work outside the embassy. Where is your embassy, and when did you last leave it?
- “Here I am, reporting for duty. What’s today’s assignment?” Would you pray that tomorrow morning?
Something to Sit With
On that day, He shall reign the earth. Until then, let’s stick to the mission. Let’s report for duty and bring Our Father’s Kingdom to the world, one soul at a time.
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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.