Not this...But this

Knowing what it means to pray the “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” part of the Lord’s Prayer can be tricky. We don’t often know or realize what exactly the Kingdom of God is or what exactly it looks like to do the will of God. It is really easy to see, however, that our world and the kingdoms of the world are not as they should be. So, perhaps some visual aids might help. I had prepared fuller explanation of what I think it means to pray this prayer (you can read it here), but it is a little long. Pictures, on the other hand, are worth a thousand words.

The question of the day is, What does the Kingdom of God look like?

It doesn’t look like this…



It does look like this…



Not this...



But this...



Not this...



But this...



Not this...



But this...



You get the idea. The world, which was created good and perfect, is not that way anymore. It’s a broken, hurting, violent, and sad place. Jesus came to undo all of the brokenness. He came to bring the peace and wholeness of heaven back to earth. God’s Kingdom is here, but it’s not yet fully here.

Praying the Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a prayer that we pray to move God to action. God has been and is still moving. Praying the Lord’s Prayer is about our participation with what God is doing. As we realize that we are now sons and daughters, apprentice children of the God who created, sustains and is now restoring the universe, we are moved to see what God is doing and join in the work. To pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a petition on our part to ask God to help us participate in the salvation God is bringing.