Kingdom come / Daily Bread

Read Matthew 6:10-11

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So begin to pray by focusing on your Father who loves and cares for you (9). Then worship his holy name (Ps.29:2; 103:1), remembering that we honour him best by living holy lives (Rom.12:1). Next, we pray for his kingdom to come.

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“The kingdom of heaven/God” was central to the message of Jesus right from the start (Mt.4:17; Mk.1:15). The literal meaning is kingship or reign, and therefore to enter God’s kingdom means to accept God as king of our lives, obeying his commands and seeking to do his will (Mt.6:33). So pray in particular ways for God’s will to be done both in the world and in the church – locally, nationally and internationally. And for yourself, pray likewise that God will reign in the way you live (1 Th.2:12; Rom.12:2).

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We pray too for “our daily bread” i.e. for God’s help and provision in all the stuff of life. It’s right that we ask our Father for what we need, confident of his loving care for us (Mt.6:8,32; Ph.4:12,19). Perhaps that seems selfish, but “whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom” (Spurgeon). So bring petitions for yourself and also for your family and friends (“give us”), trustingly but persistently (Lk.11:5-8; 18:1-8).