Armed with Prayer

PRAY FOR GOD’S WORK ON EARTH

Once the Fathers has been properly addressed and approached through the name of His son, one must then request that His Kingdom come to earth and His will be done as it is being done in heaven. This request is like a crossword puzzle. It can only be solved within the framework of the puzzle. In a similar way, prayer can only be answered effectively within the realm of God’s Kingdom, which represents his work on earth. Only God’s Kingdom provides the conditions in which prayer can thrive and prosper. It does not mean that the Lord cannot be heard by those outside His Kingdom, but those that live within His Will have a much better chance to receive both answers and support from the other members of the Kingdom. The environment of the Kingdom is much more conducive to those in need than the world. The Kingdom of Jesus represents a world where people have come from all walks of life, good, and bad to find refuge in the Arms of Christ their savior and comforter. Here they have been forgiven, reconciled, and they have been accepted into the family of God. And it is in the Kingdom of God that they find sympathy and assistance. Jesus, the Founder of the Kingdom, promised that no one shall be turned away that turns to Him and abides within His domain (John 6:37).

The Kingdom of Christ is governed by the Will of God. Therefore, God’s Kingdom abides by the heavenly rules and regulations. Jesus defined the Will of God as believing and trusting in His Son that could keep his followers safe in the world and raise them up on the Last Day (John 6:39-40). The Son was living and doing the Will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). What kind of a lifestyle was Jesus advocating? Jesus gave us His Kingdom ethics in His “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). These ethics go beyond the Law Moses handed down. The very first rule that qualifies people for the Kingdom is being poor, period (Luke 6:20). That is, one possesses nothing that the world holds dear. It is an attitude that is spiritual or godly (Matthew 5:3). Such a person is humble, meek, just, merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker. He or she is like salt and light to others. Such a person does not even entertain thoughts of homicide, infidelity, revenge, hate, and judging others. Instead, they forgive, are reconciled, and they love those that show animosity. That is why the Lord shaped the requested prayer on His Kingdom ethics. It is almost as if the prayer was a manifesto of the Kingdom. The member of the Kingdom must willingly and joyfully submit to the Will of the Father and to the rules of the Kingdom before he or she has the right to ask for personal needs. It is, once the rules of heaven are in place, that the members of God’s Kingdom shall have their needs met abundantly.

Prayer depends on whether a person lives in the kingdom and in the will of God. This fact has a great deal to do whether prayers are being answered. On the basis of Scripture and those that have tried to live godly lives, there is an overwhelming evidence of answered prayers. God does hear the cry of the just, even the unborn. A soul is a soul, no matter how young or old and only God can terminate its existence, but He will not because He made it eternal. All immorality is a perversion of what God had intended, and those that insist that it is not, must not expect any favors from heaven. Heaven is filled with unwanted babies and people that have been hurt by secular and humanistic libertinism. This system has chosen to follow the will of man, rather than the will of God. It has set up a law that is in direct opposition to the Law of Moses and the Kingdom ethics. There is even a bit of irony in the libertine system. It uses some of the Kingdom ethics to justify its unbiblical behavior. What is sad is that some Christians have stooped to their level and have been singled out as villains and lawbreakers. Evil has become good and good has become evil. Our world has become similar to the days of Noah and Lot. Floods, fire and brimstone have replaced heavenly blessings. The only prayer that can save us is “Repent or likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). And those are Jesus’ words, not the writer’s. They shall not pass away. The sinful society will. 

The Kingdom of God will continue to suffer violence here on earth until the Law and the Prophets are restored as Jesus had begun doing it (Matthew 5:17-20). The Law and the Prophets are God’s framework for his kingdom on earth. John the Baptist was the last prophet that tried to open the way for man to go back to God or for God’s Son to enter the world. Only violent men had aborted the Law and the Prophets before and would do so again within Christ’s kingdom (Mark 7:9-13; Matthew 11:12-13). Grace and love are God’s open doors into the kingdom and once we are inside, we no longer desire to break or disobey the Law or the Prophets, but we begin to lead a life of grace and love ourselves. We no longer let sin dominate our mortal bodies (Romans 6:11-14). The love for one another will leave no doubt that we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34-35). The people outside the kingdom will trust our witness in Christ and will become one with us. We shall be the ones that will answer Jesus’ Prayer (John 17:20-23). Our deeds alone will illuminate our relationship with Christ’s and turn unbelievers in praises to God (Matthew 5:16).

The oneness Jesus spoke of is the biggest mystery within the Kingdom of God. How can we be one when we do not look alike, act alike, feel alike, believe alike, and even think alike? We are all different, grow and mature differently and even travel on different roads. Jesus told Peter to take care of sheep and lambs (John 21:15-17). Paul had to contend with infants, carnal minded and spiritually elevated believers (I Corinthians 3:1-3). One Hebrew congregation barely sustained it self by living on milk instead on solid food (Hebrews 5:12). The Apostle John had a congregation of children, young men and fathers (I John 2:12-14). All of these people, including us, were and are in transition between the world and God’s kingdom. The most of us may live on the fringe rather than in the kingdom. God’s Kingdom settled in the hearts that were ready and willing to follow Christ’s direction (Luke 17:21). Jesus promised that those, who will love like He did and do what He taught them to do then, Father, Son and Holy Spirit would take up residence in the human spirit (John 14:23-27). This prayer is necessary to arm oneself against the odds in this world.