Our church is currently in a series on prayer, and though I wrote this blog some time ago, it is certainly appropriate to share now.

I recently finished Pete Greig’s How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People. 

In it, Greig provides a framework for prayer based on the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. Here Jesus presents this powerful prayer to those listening to His Sermon on the Mount:

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

As I have been praying through this poignant passage, Holy Spirit has gotten me thinking. What does it look like for the kingdom of heaven to come now? How is God’s will meant to be done in me?

In heaven, all is made right. All is alignment with who God is. All is holy. 

I began to think through a new lens. As I considered a difficult circumstance I was experiencing with a fellow believer, I began to ask myself: What do I want this relationship to look like when I’m in heaven? How can it start to look like that now? In heaven, I know I will be able to enjoy a sweet relationship with the difficult people in my life because we will share the great joy of eternal life in Christ. Differences and disagreements, real or imagined, will be forgotten and forgiven as we step into the reality of knowing and being fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Really, why would we wait for heaven for the kingdom to come? Why would I wait to live in unity, loving those around me from a deep well of the Spirit as He moves within me? One day there will be a complete fulfillment of Psalm 133:1: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” With this in mind, there is no reason to wait for this verse to become a reality. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I have the opportunity to bring such kingdom relationships into reality. And if the person is not a believer, by loving them well I am introducing them to the love of Christ. If I allow my dislike, disinterest, or distrust to keep me from loving well, I am creating a stumbling block for someone who desperately needs to hear the gospel.

What about my inner life? Anxiety, fear, doubt, insecurity – emotions like these don’t fit into the kingdom of God. If in heaven I will fully experience the peace of Christ, I should seek to live out of that peace on earth as well. In heaven, my faith will be brought to fruition. Here on earth, I have the privilege of living that faith out now. I can trust Christ now, live securely now, and experience peace now. This is kingdom come.

Consider this: When I allow the enemy to insert himself into my relationships, into my mind and heart, I am allowing him to steal, kill, and destroy the life Christ came to give me (John 10:10). But when I choose to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), I make room for the kingdom here and now. Why would I freely give to satan what he is constantly trying to steal? Do I genuinely want to make it easy for the enemy of my soul to have a foothold in my life (Ephesians 4:25-27), all for the sake of resentment, bitterness, anxiety, or the holding of a grudge?

Yes, the kingdom looks like salvation, healing, breakthrough, and baptism in the Spirit. But it also looks like a gentle response, intentional forgiveness, sacrificial love, and a generous spirit. It looks like loving the person who is difficult to love and choosing to make a heavenly reality an earthly reality. It looks like taking captive every thought and having the mind of Christ. Imagine the richness of relationship we will experience with God and with others if we don’t wait for eternity to experience the fullness of joy that comes from the unity mentioned in Psalm 133! The kingdom of heaven is within our reach – it is our responsibility to grab hold of it.

Lord – may Your kingdom come in me!