Thy Kingdom Come: What It Means to Pray for the King's Return (Matthew 6:10)

Back when I was in college, I had a twenty-four-hour layover in London on my way to Germany. I was traveling by myself. So I did what any college kid with a free day would do. I walked out of the airport into a city I had never seen and hoped for the best.

Everything worked out. And one of the places I ended up was Buckingham Palace.

I stood there and watched the guards. I took in the whole culture that surrounds that palace and the monarchy. And the part I remember most is the ordinary people I talked with, and the way they spoke about their queen. I’m very thankful to live in a country that isn’t governed by a king or a queen. But I walked away from that palace with a sense of what it means to live under a throne.

I think about that day whenever I come to three short words in the prayer the Lord Jesus taught His disciples:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Thy kingdom come. You have probably prayed those words hundreds of times. But have you ever stopped to ask what you were asking for?

Here is the first thing that gripped me as I studied this. It seems simple, but we forget it all the time. If you are praying for a kingdom to come, then there is a King.

There is a King, and you are talking to Him

Isaiah saw Him coming seven hundred years before Bethlehem:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The government shall be upon His shoulder. Paul gives Him His title:

“Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” (1 Timothy 6:15)

And when John sees Him riding out of heaven at the end of the age, the title is written right on Him:

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the King. When you pray “Thy kingdom come,” you are asking for His second coming and for His reign here on earth. So you had better know who you are talking to.

He is not just your buddy. Yes, He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and thank God for that. But there is also a reverence and a respect you owe Him, because He sits on a throne.

A letter to the president, and a better door

When I was in elementary school, my parents told me I could write a letter to the president of the United States.

I couldn’t believe it. What do you mean I can write to the president? They said, “You just write him.” So I did. I have awful handwriting, so I spent forever on that letter, writing it out as carefully as I possibly could. I even drew him a picture. I think it was a tree. I honestly don’t remember.

I told him I was praying for him. Then I told him a bunch of random facts about myself, the way an elementary school kid does.

It took about a full year, but a letter came back. I doubt the president wrote it himself. But somebody at the White House sent me a letter with a picture of the president and his wife. I still have it. I laminated it. To this day it’s a little piece of history to me: a kid in elementary school got to communicate, even through a letter, with the president.

Now think about this. You don’t have to wait a year for a reply from a staffer. You can go straight to the King of kings every day. You can tell Him the things you would never tell another person. You can cast your burdens on Him.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

What an amazing thing that is. It ought to be cherished, not taken for granted.

A King’s commandment is meant to be kept

So how do you treat a king?

“I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:2)

Solomon was talking about an earthly king there, but the application carries straight over to the King of kings. When the Lord Jesus Christ says something, it should mean something to you. He is God, and God has given us His Word. It tells us what He expects of us. You revere your King by obeying Him.

And you do it joyfully. Not oh man, I have to do this because the Lord said so. You get to serve the King of kings.

Think about it this way. If the president walked up to you and said, “Could you do me a favor? I’m really parched. Could you get me a water?” You would be thrilled. You would tell people about it for years. I got to give the president a water.

I have a cousin who works at a golf course, and on more than one occasion he has caddied for our current president. I know that sounds like a silly example. But he counts it an honor to carry that man’s clubs.

How much more should you count it an honor to serve and obey the Lord?

“Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” (1 Peter 2:17)

It is your responsibility to bring honor to your King. You represent Him here.

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

An ambassador shows a foreign country what his home country is like. That is your job on this earth. The world should be able to look at how you live and learn something true about who Christ is.

The King is also the Judge

There is another side to God being King. Kings in history didn’t only receive honor. They sat in judgment.

You probably know the story. Two women come before Solomon with one baby. One of them rolled over in her sleep and killed her own child, then stole the other woman’s son. Both claim the living child is theirs. And Solomon says: cut the baby in half and give each of them a piece (1 Kings 3:16-28).

It’s a little dark. But it showed who the real mother was, because she cried out, “Absolutely not. Give her the child. I just want him to live.” And Solomon knew.

The point is that the king had to judge. The same is true of our Lord.

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:” (John 5:22) “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” (John 5:27)

If you are saved, if you have repented of sin toward God and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have an Advocate, and that is good news. But if you do not know with certainty that the Lord is your Savior, this should frighten you. The King of kings, the Creator of everything, will be your Judge.

That is a scary thing to consider. It is also the truth.

And even as saved people, we will all give an account:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

What an honor it would be to stand before Him and hear:

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

And what a shame it would be to stand there and not hear it.

His kingdom is coming, and the lost are running out of time

Here is the second thing. When you pray “Thy kingdom come,” you are praying for something that will happen. There is no doubt about it. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. The Bible says so again and again. We don’t know when. It could be before you finish reading this page, and if it is, praise the Lord.

But until He comes, you have a job to do.

If the Lord came back right now, the people who have rejected Him would have no opportunity to repent afterward. None. And since you don’t know when He’s coming, shouldn’t you be burdened for them? Shouldn’t you think, this could be the last day I have to witness to, and then fill in the blank? My family. My friends. My neighbors. The whole world.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27)

Every single person will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. The lost will be judged, and that judgment is hell and the lake of fire. The saved will stand before Him knowing they have everlasting life with Him.

So if you hold the cure for sin and death, why wouldn’t you share it with people who are on their way to hell?

You can’t save anybody. You can’t force anyone to get saved. But you can share the love of Christ. You can tell people what the Lord did for you and how they can be saved, and leave the choice with them. You can live a life so different from the world that people look at you and ask what’s different. And the answer is the Lord.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

I love the balance of that verse. We pray for Him to come. And He is holding off, because He doesn’t want anyone to perish.

Some people have a twisted view of God. God is love. God is also holy, and make no mistake about that. He is perfect, so sin cannot simply go unpaid. That is why He sent His Son to die on the cross as the payment for our sin, so that we could stand before Him covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him.

His longsuffering is this life. The span of grace He gives you to come to Him in repentance and faith is now.

If you have been thinking about it and you’re still unsure, I’m not here to pressure you. But you need to understand this. Every time you say “I want to think about it a little more,” you are saying “No, not yet.” Waiting is itself a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It could all end today.

Don’t take His patience for granted. And if you’re already saved, use the time He has given you to help somebody else turn to Him.

The most hopeful prayer you will ever pray

Here is the other side of that coin. For the believer, “Thy kingdom come” is something to be excited about.

You are going to stand before your Lord and Savior. He is going to reign on this earth. Every knee is finally going to bow, and every tongue is going to confess that He is Lord.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13)

If thinking about the return of the Lord doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. You might want to check your pulse.

Listen to what’s coming for you:

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17) “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death. Why wouldn’t you pray for Him to come back?

The two sides go hand in hand. One side is excitement to see your Savior. The other is a burden for the souls who have not come to Him yet. Pray with both, and live on purpose while you wait.

It is His kingdom, not yours

The last thing is simple, and it’s the one we most easily get wrong. You are praying for His kingdom to come.

Not your kingdom. Not your chance to rule. Not your leadership finally being recognized. It is not about puffing yourself up and thinking about what a big deal you’re going to be in the Lord’s kingdom.

It is all about Him.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

I hope that is how you live. Everything you have to offer on this earth belongs to Christ. And when you leave this world, all that’s left for you is gain.

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

This world is not your playground. It is going to be His kingdom.

I can’t help thinking of James and John:

“Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.” (Matthew 20:20-21)

They sent their mother to ask for the best seats, and the whole group ended up bickering about it.

Maybe you would never go that far. But don’t we sometimes carry the same attitude? Lord, You could really use me. It’s the same thing in a quieter voice.

The right prayer sounds more like this: Lord, I don’t even understand why You would want to use me. But if You see fit, show me how, and give me the strength, because I don’t have it. How can I bring You honor and glory?

A louder cheer for a better country

I love this country. There’s a lot of patriotism in America, and patriotism is a good thing. I’m not against it.

I’ve been to a few hockey games with thousands of people in the building, and I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a crowd that size chanting “USA!” It gets your blood pumping. I chanted right along with them.

But if Christ is your King, you are a subject of another kingdom first. Your deepest loyalty, your loudest excitement, and your whole vision for your life belong to Him. You line yourself up with what He wants.

I think back to Buckingham Palace, and the way those people spoke about their queen, with pride and affection for someone they would probably never meet. You have a King who invites you into His throne room every day. He died for you. He is coming back for you.

So when you pray “Thy kingdom come” this week, mean it.

Do you honor Him like a King?

Are you telling anyone He is coming?

Are you ready?

Adapted from a message preached from Matthew 6:9-13 by Dakota.