The Second Petition.
Thy kingdom come.
What does this mean?
Answer - The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of
itself; but we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also.
How is this done?
Answer - When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that
by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here in time and
yonder in eternity.
Do you just say these words without much thought? They are
very simple, but have so much impact on our lives. First, what kingdom are we
praying for? It is God’s Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory.
The Kingdom of Grace comes when we hear the Gospel and
partake of His Sacraments. Through these means, the Holy Spirit works and
preserves faith in our hearts. This in turn makes us willing to reach out and
touch others. We may share Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, a mission
tithe, a visit to the sick or elderly, a gift of food or clothes, teaching
Sunday School or Bible Class, or maybe just a smile and lending an ear. God
uses many ways for His Kingdom of Grace to grow. May each of us be part of this
growth here at Friedheim, our community, and our world.
The Kingdom of Glory is the promise of Heaven for us. In 1
Peter 1:4 God says we have an inheritance that never perishes and is kept in
Heaven for us. Souls of our beloved ones have entered this Kingdom of Glory
upon their death. We can only imagine their joy! Why wouldn’t we pray that God
would hasten this Kingdom of Glory when we will be reunited and live in Eternal
Joy?
Thank God He has brought you thus far. By His grace you can
face tomorrow. No matter how deep a valley you have been in, or how much pain
you have suffered, be assured you are now one day closer to seeing Jesus face
to face. That is such good news! What a privilege to be a child of God! May He bless you richly this Lenten season
knowing you are walking with your hand in the hand of our Savior and Lord.
Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the gift of the
Kingdom of Grace and the many blessings bestowed upon all of us. Please
strengthen our daily faith walk and use us a instruments to reach others. We
look forward to the day we are called home to Your Kingdom of Glory and
reunited with loved ones. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
-Cindy Wass
Artwork by Ed Rojas, © Higher Things
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