The Most Neglected Prayer Topic 2

In the previous post, I noted “Your Kingdom come” is the most neglected prayer topic among believers. I closed by saying there  are two primary reasons why we need to put this prayer topic–“Your Kingdom come” back on top of our prayer list.

In today’s post, I will  write on these two reasons:

1: Obedience to the Call and Cause of Christ

Jesus came to the earth with one mission; to bring the kingdom of God. In Mark 1:15, as He announced the beginning of His ministry, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…” are the words He used. Jesus’ entire ministry was centered on the kingdom, and He enlisted His disciples as lieutenants in that effort.

One of the most crucial components of our call to follow Christ, is prayer for the advancement of the kingdom.

Christians of all centuries have held Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 as their marching orders to evangelise and make disciples of all nations. Although this is one of the clearest commands of Christ, it is also one of the most neglected as most Christians don’t have the desire or passion to share their faith. This is so because, evangelism can only be fueled by a desire to see the kingdom of God come. One of the ways to fuel that passion is to consistently pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

Praying for the advancement of God’s kingdom is a matter of obedience, and reflects a great desire for the glory of God. If we truly are concerned about God’s kingdom, we will spare no opportunity to pray for its flourishing among the nations. The best way to gauge the depth of your love for God is to check the topics that fill your prayer list.

2: Fixing Our Affections On Eternity

The other reason why this prayer topic is so important is that, the world and its ways are so sedative. It was C.S. Lewis who said,

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

Isn’t this so true? When we lose sight of eternity, we practically become Christians of no earthly use. Now, the best way to keep awake and have our eyes fixed on eternity, is to constantly pray with longing for the arrival of the kingdom of God. Paul in his letter to the saints in Colossae said “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Setting our hearts and minds on things above involves praying for things that are truly eternal – The kingdom of God.

There are thousands of Christians who rarely think about heaven. Yes, they believe heaven exists and Jesus will one day come for His bride, but it is not a topic they think about every day. They are so caught up living life with heaven as a distant reality.

Heeding the call to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” will jolt us out of our entrancement with the world. Jesus is coming back soon, what a joy it will be for those who are truly looking forward to the arrival of His kingdom.