Embracing God's Kingdom Through Authentic Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Genuine Relationship with God as Father

A genuine relationship with God as Father is foundational to true prayer and spiritual life.

“When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 6:5-10, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you been relating to God more as a distant figure or religious idea rather than as your loving Father? Take a moment today to honestly talk to God about where you feel close or far from Him, and ask Him to draw you nearer. [37:09]

Day 2: Living to Hallow God’s Name, Not Our Own

Our life’s purpose is to honor and glorify God’s name above our own reputation or desires.

“Hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9b, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you were more concerned about your own reputation or being noticed than about honoring God. How can you intentionally shift your focus to glorifying God’s name in similar moments this week? [41:33]

Day 3: Seeking God’s Kingdom and Will Above Our Own

True discipleship means praying and living for God’s kingdom and will, not our personal agendas.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been asking God to support your own plans rather than seeking His will? What would it look like to surrender this area to God and pray for His kingdom to come there? [44:03]

Day 4: Jesus’ Sacrifice Makes Us Worthy to Approach God

Through Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, we are cleansed and made able to come before God in worship.

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12, 14, ESV)

Reflection: As you consider Jesus’ sacrifice for you, is there any guilt or shame you are still carrying that keeps you from coming freely to God? Bring it to Him in prayer, trusting that you are cleansed and welcomed because of Christ. [55:09]

Day 5: Joining God’s Mission to the Nations

God calls us to participate in His global mission so that all people may know Him as Father and hallow His name.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

Reflection: How is God prompting you to engage in His mission—through praying, giving, or going? Ask God to show you one concrete step you can take this week to support His work among the nations. [49:40]

Sermon Summary

In Matthew 6:5-10, Jesus teaches a radically different approach to prayer and life itself. Rather than seeking attention or approval from others, the invitation is to come before God as a child comes to a loving Father. This relationship is not based on religious performance or external acts, but on the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to call God “Abba, Father.” The deepest longing of every human heart is to be reconciled with our Creator, and Jesus assures us that God is always ready to forgive and welcome us home.

The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be a mindless recitation, but a reorientation of our entire worldview. The first petition, “Hallowed be your name,” calls us to live for God’s glory rather than our own. It challenges the natural tendency to seek recognition and build our own reputations. Instead, our purpose is to honor and exalt God’s name, and to long for all peoples—across every nation and tongue—to know and worship Him as Father.

The next petition, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” shifts our focus from our own agendas to God’s grand mission. We are not to use prayer as a tool to manipulate God into serving our desires, but to align our hearts with His will and His kingdom. This is a call to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world, praying and laboring for the day when His justice, peace, and love fill the earth as they do in heaven. The kingdom grows as people repent, believe, and submit to King Jesus, and as the church lives out the ethics and mission of the kingdom.

Jesus Himself modeled this prayer, ultimately submitting to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane and giving His life on the cross. Through His sacrifice, we are cleansed and made able to approach God in worship, not by our own merit, but by His grace. As we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember that we are united to Christ, forgiven, and called to live for His kingdom. The invitation is to respond—whether by praying, giving, or going—so that the nations may know the Father, hallow His name, and experience His kingdom on earth.

Key Takeaways

1. A Genuine Relationship with God as Father The foundation of prayer and mission is a real, living relationship with God as our Father. This is not achieved by religious activity or knowledge, but by the Spirit’s work in our hearts, leading us to repentance, faith, and the experience of God’s love. Without this relationship, all our striving and religious acts are empty, but with it, we find the peace and joy our souls long for. [37:09]
2. Living for God’s Glory, Not Our Own The call to “hallow God’s name” confronts our desire for self-promotion and recognition. True discipleship means shifting our focus from building our own reputations to honoring God above all. This is a daily battle, but it is also the heart of our purpose: to glorify God and long for His name to be known and treasured among all peoples. [41:33]
3. Aligning Our Will with God’s Kingdom Prayer is not about persuading God to fulfill our personal agendas, but about surrendering our will to His. “Your kingdom come, your will be done” is a radical reorientation, inviting us to participate in God’s mission and to desire His rule and reign in every part of life and creation. This alignment brings meaning and direction, as we join in God’s redemptive work. [44:03]
4. The Cost and Example of Christ’s Submission Jesus not only taught us to pray this way, but embodied it fully—submitting to the Father’s will even unto death. His sacrifice on the cross is both our means of forgiveness and our model for living: wholehearted, sacrificial, and obedient to God’s purposes. The cross calls us to gratitude and to a life poured out for the sake of the kingdom. [48:35]
5. Mission as the Overflow of Kingdom Prayer The global mission of God is not an optional add-on, but the natural outflow of hearts aligned with the Father. Every act of giving, praying, or going for the sake of the nations is a testimony that God is real and His kingdom is advancing. The invitation is to discern how God is calling each of us to participate, trusting that He hears and answers kingdom prayers—often through our own obedience.

** [49:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:54] - The Heart of Prayer: Relationship, Not Performance
[37:09] - The Father’s Invitation and Our Deepest Longing
[38:55] - Forgiveness and Reconciliation with God
[40:04] - Hallowing God’s Name vs. Our Own
[41:33] - The Temptation of Self-Glory
[42:12] - The Global Mission in the Lord’s Prayer
[43:15] - Praying for God’s Kingdom, Not Ours
[44:03] - What God’s Kingdom Looks Like
[44:44] - The Church and the Growth of the Kingdom
[45:29] - Stories of Kingdom Advance
[46:23] - Praying for Heaven on Earth
[47:13] - Jesus’ Example: Submission in Gethsemane
[48:35] - The Cost of the Kingdom and Our Response
[49:40] - Living for the Mission: Giving, Praying, Going
[51:03] - The Prayer for the Nations
[54:34] - The Lord’s Supper: Christ Our Sacrifice
[55:09] - The Meaning of Communion
[56:14] - Invitation to the Table
[56:56] - Closing Blessing and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:5-10 (ESV) — > “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
> “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
> Pray then like this:
> “Our Father in heaven,
> hallowed be your name.
> Your kingdom come,
> your will be done,
> on earth as it is in heaven.”

Observation Questions

According to Jesus in Matthew 6:5-6, what is the difference between how the hypocrites pray and how He wants His followers to pray?
What does Jesus say about the use of “empty phrases” in prayer, and what does this reveal about God’s character? (Matthew 6:7-8)
In the sermon, what does the phrase “Our Father” presuppose about our relationship with God? [[37:09]]
What is the main focus of the first two petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be your name” and “Your kingdom come, your will be done”? [[41:33]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize praying in secret rather than in public? What does this say about the kind of relationship God desires with us? [[34:54]]
The sermon says that “hallowing God’s name” means living for God’s glory, not our own. Why is this so difficult for people, and what does it reveal about our hearts? [[41:33]]
When we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” what are we actually asking God to do in our lives and in the world? How does this challenge our personal agendas? [[44:03]]
Jesus modeled submission to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. What does His example teach us about the cost and nature of true obedience? [[47:51]]

Application Questions

The sermon shared a story about a father longing to be reconciled with his son, and how many people desire that kind of relationship. If you feel distant from God, what is one step you could take this week to move toward Him? [[37:56]]
Think about your daily life—are there ways you find yourself seeking recognition or building your own reputation instead of honoring God’s name? What is one practical change you could make to shift your focus? [[41:33]]
When you pray, do you tend to ask God to fulfill your own plans, or do you seek to align your heart with His will? What would it look like to pray “Your will be done” in a specific area of your life right now? [[44:03]]
The sermon mentioned that the kingdom of God grows as people repent, believe, and submit to King Jesus. Is there an area of your life where you need to submit more fully to Jesus’ rule? What is holding you back? [[44:44]]
Jesus’ obedience led Him to the cross. What is one way you can practice sacrificial obedience this week, even if it costs you something? [[48:35]]
The global mission of God is described as the natural overflow of kingdom prayer. How might God be calling you to participate—through praying, giving, or going? What is one step you can take to respond? [[49:40]]
As you come to the Lord’s Table (communion), how does remembering Jesus’ sacrifice affect your sense of forgiveness and your motivation to live for His kingdom? [[55:09]]

Sermon Clips

What child doesn't want to reconcile with his father? What child doesn't want to be in a good relationship with his dad? But if this is true with our earthly fathers, how much more true ought it be with our heavenly father? All of our prayers, all of our religion, they're worthless if we don't have a genuine relationship with God. [00:38:18] (26 seconds) #HeavenlyFatherRelationship

How often do we live our life with the prayer, hallowed be my name. But you see this phrase that we pray, this petition also has a missions thrust. Did you catch it? What are we asking God to do? We are asking God that he would make his name hallowed. [00:41:48] (24 seconds) #PrayForGodsGlory

What would be the opposite? My kingdom come. My will be done. Now this is what Jesus was speaking against when he criticized those who would pray repetitiously, thinking they would be heard for their many words. What were these people trying to do? Well, they're trying to manipulate God. They're trying to get God to do their will. They're trying to get God to help them build their kingdom. [00:42:56] (33 seconds) #RejectSelfKingdom

How often do we ask God for things that build up our own kingdom? To help accomplish our will. And so in this prayer, what is presupposed is that our life purpose is not to build up our kingdom, to build up our will, our agenda, but it is towards God's agenda in his kingdom. It's what it means to be a follower of Jesus. [00:43:34] (27 seconds) #AlignWithGodsKingdom

What's it like in heaven? In heaven, there's no tears. There's no sorrow. There's no sickness. There's no pain. There's no suffering. There's no abuse. There's no corruption. There's no sin. There's no death. What are we praying for? We're praying that Satan's kingdom would be destroyed. We're praying that the good news of the kingdom of God would go throughout the world. We're praying that Christ's church would advance. And that Christ's reign would extend to the ends of the earth. [00:46:53] (37 seconds) #PrayForKingdomVictory

Jesus, he teaches us to pray this way because this is how he prayed. Jesus says, Our Father. He considers us his brothers and sisters. Jesus prays, Hallowed be your name when his own name is mocked and ridiculed. Jesus prays, Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And then submits to the will of the Father and establishes the very kingdom by going to the cross. [00:47:30] (37 seconds) #JesusPraysSacrifice

The implications are pretty simple. Out of gratitude for God's lavish grace, we would live wholeheartedly now for his kingdom. We would submit to our king. We would seek to advance his will, his name above all else. This is where Global Missions comes in. [00:49:00] (24 seconds) #EngageInGodsMission

What is the prayer of our hearts? May our collective prayer be that the nations would call upon God as our Father. They would hallow his name. And that his kingdom would come and that his will would be done here on earth as it is in heaven. [00:51:13] (23 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does it mean to have a genuine relationship with God?

How does praying for God's name hallowing impact missions?

In what ways did Jesus exemplify submission to God's will?