Thy Kingdom Come

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

What do you crave? Managing my cravings is an everyday battle. Do I take a walk or watch Netflix? Do I eat the broccoli or go out for a Snickers Blizzard? It is the battle of the bulge. But my weight loss is not about my weight. It’s not even about my physical body or health. This battle is about God’s kingdom and my ability to do what He calls me to do.

Every battle we fight with God as our ally strengthens us and makes us better. God will have it no other way. Today, as I enter the battlefield, I recognize the real purpose of the battle. My battle cry is no longer for a smaller size of jeans. Today, I step onto holy ground, proclaiming “Thy Kingdom Come!”.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray. This prayer is commonly called The Lord’s Prayer. The third line of this prayer reads, “Your kingdom come.” What does this mean, anyway?

The realm where God reigns supreme and Jesus Christ is King, is the kingdom spoken of here. It is the place we are to pursue during our earthly lives. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first his kingdom.” When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we pray for the day Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:6) A time where every tongue will confess Him as Savior and all nations will bow to Him.

But until His return, we pray for God to rule in our hearts. We ask for His kingdom to be our purpose. This earth is not our home, and this body is not permanent. I do not want to set up temporary kingdoms of comfort and pleasure. The eternal hope yet to be realized is what praying for God’s kingdom to come is about. We are asking God to accomplish His perfect will in this world and the next.

Living my life and fighting my battles, even the battle of the bulge,  has a kingdom purpose. Praying for His Kingdom to come reminds me that this current battle is temporary, and it is the lasting relationship with Christ I am working on.

As I said, this weight loss struggle is not just about the weight, and it is not even about my oh so temporary physical body and its health. This journey is about God’s Kingdom. As I give first place to God and serving Him, the battle becomes somehow more important. It is about more than the comfort of the flesh and success on the scales; it is about a deeper relationship with God, making the battle worth the fight. Forget the battle of the bulge, today we declare, “Thy kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.”

Our Father in heaven, I pray for Your kingdom to rule in my heart. For me to pursue all of life’s battles with eternity in mind. I never want to trade in your kingdom for my fleshly realm of comfort. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Relevant Bible Verses

Psalm 47:2 – For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.

Colossians 1:13-14 – For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Reflect and Respond

What does it feel like to look at your trials considering eternity? Will it change how you pray? Will it change your expected results?

How would you describe the kingdom of God?

Can you pray for God to show you how your life will affect the kingdom of God?

Related Resources

The Lord’s Prayer in the Bible – Bible Study Tools