How to Pray

10/21/23 – 10/31/23

Pursuing the Kingdom of God

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  10/27/23

Every day, millions of people pray the Lord’s Prayer without understanding what it means to pray, “[Y]our kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When you pray this to the Lord, you are saying, “You rule supreme over my life.” As followers of Christ, we are pledging our allegiance to Him by saying, “King Jesus, may Your priorities be my preoccupation.”

You cannot say that you are a member of the Kingdom of God without Jesus being the King of your life because the King and the Kingdom are inseparable. If you pray for the Kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done, then you are saying, “King Jesus, take over.” You are abdicating the throne of your life and allowing God to become the very center of who you are.

When most people pray, they focus on their plans, needs, and agendas. God cares about our lives and wants us to ask Him for our needs in prayer. Human needs are not irrelevant in prayer. However, if our perceived needs become the focus of our lives, then they can become our god—and that’s a problem. When our needs become the focus of our lives, it is not long before we cease to pray, “Thy will be done,” and instead begin to pray for our own will to be done.

Jesus encouraged His disciples when He said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).

You cannot pledge allegiance to two kingdoms. Either you are pursuing the kingdom of the world system, or you are pursuing the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot serve two masters because you cannot have divided loyalty.

Prayer: Father, help me to be completely loyal to Your Kingdom. Reveal any area of my life where I am not submitting to Your kingship, and help me to put You and Your Kingdom first in my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).