From: Paul Gage
LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JULY 27, 2023
Greetings Dear Saints in every corner of the earth,
The last two weeks we have taken some comments from Charles Allen’s book, “God’s Psychiatry.” The way to think about God: “The Lord IS my Shepherd.” “God’s Rules for Living, “The Ten Commandments.” Today we consider “How to Talk to God,” “The Lord’s Prayer.” As we live in the Kingdom of God we must pray this prayer and not just say it, to think of Jesus Christ as our Shepherd and not just say it, to obey God’s rules and commandments and not just say them.
“Our Father” He is the King of His Kingdom. If we are living in His Kingdom we must honestly accept Him as our Father. A loving, nurturing, always present Father, not just a passing acquaintance.
“Who art in heaven,” In the first phase of the Lord’s Prayer is summed up the Christian life. “In heaven,” includes all our hopes. Meaning perfection. The word “heaven” signifies the quality of life toward which sincere Christians are striving and which should be demonstrated in our daily living.
“Hallowed be thy name” Every name has a meaning, thus God’s “name” means His nature revealed. “Hallowed be thy name” really means “Reveal thyself to me, O God.” Man can know God only as God chooses to reveal Himself. How does God reveal Himself to each of us in our daily living?
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.” “Thy kingdom come,” means that I look into my own heart and plead for God’s cleansing power. It means that I bow before Him in faith and obedience.
“Thy will be done on earth.” To pray with power Jesus teaches us we must first get God in our minds and recognize His sovereignty. So we pray for His will to be done because it is the best and happiest way for us to live in the kingdom now. To pray “Thy will be done,” is really an enlistment for action, action to do His will rather than my own.
“As it is done in heaven.” One purpose for our being created and living on the earth is to prepare ourselves, with God’s help and direction to be permitted to live in His kingdom in its fullness and glory.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:9 ”Therefore after this manner shall ye pray, saying…” To be living in His kingdom, we must first of all, acknowledge God as our Father in all His Holiness and majesty, as the only One who knows our every need and can supply those needs. Then as we complete this prayer, “For THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.”
God bless
Paul Gage
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