Being the Beloved - A Monthly Blog from CFDM Northwest
By Gwen Shipley, Co-Director
Your Kingdom Come…Your Will Be Done on Earth…
He (Jesus) was praying in a certain place,
and after he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.
– Luke 11:1-4 (NRSV)
The U.S. presidential election is imminent. If there is anything that reminds us we are ultimately not in charge of outcomes, it is world events. Thus, we continue to experience higher than normal levels of physical, socio-political and economic uncertainty. The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray can help us become individuals who rest in the love of God in uncertain times. It can help us become people who express God’s love when we find ourselves at odds with those who hold perspectives different from our own.
Debbie Swindoll of Grafted Life Ministries offers a line-by-line reflection based on Jesus’ model for prayer, commonly known as The Lord’s prayer. Here is a sample:
Your kingdom come.
God, I acknowledge that my primary citizenship is in your kingdom.
Help me to recognize when the values of [a] political system oppose the authority
that you call me to live by.
God, may your kingdom values be upheld in my heart and in the hearts of your people.
May your kingdom be lived out through [your] Church regardless of the political leaders present
in our country and beyond.
I share it “for such a time as this” and invite you to make it your prayer along with me. A PDF version is available here. Or you may consider working with it on your own.
Action and contemplation are two sides of the same coin. Participation in determining outcomes through voting or any other form we are given, is a privileged action. Contemplation, listening deeply to the heartbeat of God, is an equally important “act,” one that reveals God’s desire in us and for us. The simple act of a humble prayer that aligns our own actions with God’s purposes in the world may be the greatest act of loving service you and I can perform at this time.
So I invite you to join me in saying, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” trusting that it may be so wherever you are.
What books, media, activities are nurturing your heart, soul, mind, strength in this season as we are loving God and our neighbor as ourselves? Post in the comments below or hop on over to our Facebook page and share with one another.