Fasting Devotional Day Four: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Text: Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
By Maria Valdivia
Thoughts:
To pray "thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" is a very powerful way of praying. But what does “kingdom” mean? What does “thy will” mean? Why does Jesus instruct us to pray like this? A kingdom is a place where a king rules with authority. Jesus instructs us to pray for God to reign as king here on Earth as in Heaven. God reigns in heaven, but does he reign on earth now? Since the beginning of Earth’s creation, the enemy deceived Adam & Eve out of God’s Kingdom. They chose to disobey God and disregard God’s instruction. In a Kingdom, the inhabitants understand the sovereignty of the king and submit to their authority. Until Jesus returns, we are living in a place where God is not the official ruler, but we can still choose to submit to his kingdom by surrendering our hearts to him. A will is the legal declaration of a person’s wishes. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches us (his followers) to submit to God’s will. Although there are times when we don't understand his will, we must trust that His ways are for our good. When we pray for God's will to be done in our lives, we must be ready to surrender our will and accept His will for our lives.
For years I desired to be a mother. But after nearly 6 years of infertility and disappointment, I started to lose hope. I remember how hard it was seeing I remember how hard it was to see my friends and family have children and grow their families. It was a painful reminder of the "one thing" I could not have. I struggled with the idea that God's will for me was to be barren. Eventually, after several failed medical interventions my prayers changed from “God, please help me become a mother” to "God, if it is not your will for me to bare children, then let your will be done in my life. Please remove this desire from me. "Surrendering my desires to His will was the first step to my healing. It was then that God was able to move in a mighty way in my life and blessed me with a beautiful baby girl, whom I carried in my womb and birthed naturally.
Jesus is telling us that our kingdom and will are important. In Him, we are protected, blessed, and redeemed. We have a seat at his table. We are called His and He can reign over our lives. He wants nothing more than to give us abundant life. A life richer than anything this world can offer. Pray this with me, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven". Amen.
Challenge:
I challenge you today to pray like Jesus instructed us to pray and to let his will reign over your life.