Inviting God's Kingdom: A New Way to Pray

Jun 13, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: Seek the Honor of God’s Name Above Everything Else

To pray “Hallowed be your name” is to make the honor and glory of God’s name our first and greatest concern in prayer. This is not just a statement of praise, but a heartfelt plea that God’s name would be revered, set apart, and lifted above all else in our lives and requests. When we begin our prayers with this focus, it shapes every other petition, reminding us that all we ask should fall under the umbrella of God’s honor. Let your prayers today be marked by a longing for God’s name to be glorified in every situation you bring before Him. [07:45]

Matthew 6:9
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’” (ESV)

Reflection: In what specific area of your life today can you intentionally seek to honor God’s name above your own desires or reputation?

Day 2: Call on Heaven to Break Into Our World

When we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are inviting God’s rule and reign to invade our lives, our homes, our communities, and our world. This is a bold request for God’s reality to break into our present circumstances, for His justice, peace, and love to transform the spaces we inhabit. It is a prayer that asks for God’s intervention and for His kingdom to expand here and now, not just in some distant future. Consider how your prayers can become a call for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in the world around you today. [15:39]

Isaiah 64:1-2
“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life or community do you most long for God’s kingdom to break in, and how can you pray specifically for that today?

Day 3: Say Yes to God’s Way Over Ours

Praying “Your will be done” is not a passive resignation but an active surrender to God’s purposes, even when they conflict with our own desires. It means choosing God’s way over our way, trusting that His plans are better and higher than ours. This surrender may require us to let go of our preferences, ambitions, or comforts, but it is the path to true life and peace. Ask God to help you say “yes” to His will, especially in those areas where your wants and His purposes collide. [19:45]

Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (ESV)

Reflection: What is one area where your desires are at odds with God’s will, and what would it look like to actively surrender that to Him today?

Day 4: Step Actively Into God’s Plan Here and Now

“On earth as it is in heaven” is a call to participate in God’s work, to live as citizens of His kingdom in the present, not just to wait for a future fulfillment. God’s reign is meant to be evident in every aspect of our lives—how we spend our time, treat others, manage resources, and respond to injustice. We are invited to be part of making earth more like heaven by embodying Christ’s love, justice, and mercy wherever we are. Consider how you can step into God’s plan today, making His kingdom visible in your daily actions. [25:45]

Revelation 11:15
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’” (ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can participate in God’s kingdom work today, making your world more like heaven?

Day 5: Prayer Invokes God’s Will and Glory to Invade Our Story

Prayer is not just about presenting our requests but about inviting God’s will and glory to transform our lives and circumstances. It is a powerful act of calling on God to move, to change us, and to align our hearts with His purposes. As we pray, we are reminded of our dependence on Jesus and our need for His grace to pray as He taught us. Let your prayers today be an invitation for God’s presence, will, and glory to invade every part of your story, trusting that He is at work in you and through you. [33:51]

Psalm 115:1
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (ESV)

Reflection: As you pray today, how can you intentionally invite God’s will and glory to shape your story, rather than simply asking Him to fulfill your own plans?

Sermon Summary

The words Jesus gave us in the Lord’s Prayer are not just a formula, but an invitation to a new way of living and praying. When we begin with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are not simply reciting familiar words—we are calling on God’s will and glory to invade our story. This is not a passive act, but an active invocation, a calling in of God’s presence, power, and purposes into every part of our lives.

To pray “hallowed be your name” is to make the honor of God’s name our first and greatest concern. It is not just a statement of praise, but a plea that God’s name would be lifted above every other desire or request we bring. This shapes the rest of our prayers, placing God’s glory at the center and everything else under its umbrella.

When we pray “your kingdom come,” we are asking for heaven to break into our world, for God’s reign to expand in our lives, our homes, our communities, and our church. It is a prayer for God’s reality to overlap more and more with our own, for the rule of Christ to be evident here and now—not just in some distant future. This is a call to seek the expansion of God’s rule, not just to get God to do what we want.

“Your will be done” is more than passive surrender; it is an active yes to God’s ways over our own. It means letting go of our agendas and desires when they collide with God’s purposes, and learning to say, “Yes, Lord, your will.” This is the heart of a disciple, echoing Jesus’ own prayer in Gethsemane.

Finally, “on earth as it is in heaven” is a commitment to step actively into God’s plan in the here and now. We are called to live as kingdom people, letting the reign of Christ be evident in every aspect of our lives. This is not just about church activities, but about making the world more like heaven wherever we are—by seeking justice, showing mercy, and loving as Jesus loved.

None of us do this perfectly. We need Jesus to teach us, to remind us, and to shape our hearts so that our prayers and our lives reflect the priorities of the kingdom. May we keep coming back to this prayer, letting it form us as people who seek God’s honor, God’s kingdom, and God’s will above all.

Key Takeaways

1. Seeking the Honor of God’s Name Above All True prayer begins with a desire for God’s name to be honored above every other concern. This is not just a phrase of praise, but a petition that God’s glory would be the highest aim of our hearts and requests. When we make the honor of God’s name our first priority, it reorders all our other desires and shapes the way we approach God. This is the foundation of kingdom-centered prayer. [08:27]
2. Calling on Heaven to Break Into Our World To pray “your kingdom come” is to invite God’s reality to invade our present circumstances. It is a bold request for God’s reign to expand in our lives, families, and communities, not just in the future but right now. This challenges us to examine whether our prayers are about expanding God’s rule or simply getting our own way. True kingdom prayer seeks God’s intervention and transformation in the here and now. [15:39]
3. Saying Yes to God’s Will Over Our Own “Your will be done” is an active surrender, not a passive resignation. It means choosing God’s way even when it conflicts with our own desires, trusting that his purposes are better and higher. This requires humility and a willingness to let go of control, echoing Jesus’ own submission in Gethsemane. The heart of a disciple is quick to say, “Yes, Lord, your will be done.” [19:45]
4. Living the “Already, Not Yet” of the Kingdom God’s kingdom is both present and future—already breaking in, but not yet fully realized. We are called to live as citizens of this kingdom now, letting Christ’s reign be evident in every area of our lives. This means no part of our lives is exempt from God’s authority, and we are to actively participate in making earth more like heaven. The overlap of heaven and earth grows as we live out kingdom values daily. [25:45]
5. Stepping Actively Into God’s Plan Here and Now Praying “on earth as it is in heaven” is a commitment to be part of God’s work in the world today. It is not enough to pray for God’s will; we are called to live into the answer by seeking justice, showing mercy, and making the world more like heaven wherever we are. This is the practical outworking of kingdom prayer—letting our actions align with our petitions and participating in God’s redemptive mission. [29:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:36] - The Struggle for Control
[01:51] - Climbing Out of the Passenger Seat
[02:29] - The Call to Prayer
[03:09] - Praying the Lord’s Prayer Together
[03:46] - Hallowed Be Your Name: The First Request
[05:04] - Invoking God’s Will and Glory
[06:24] - What Does “Hallowed” Mean?
[07:45] - Seeking God’s Honor Above All
[12:23] - Your Kingdom Come: Calling on Heaven
[15:39] - What If God’s Kingdom Invaded My Space?
[17:40] - Your Will Be Done: Active Surrender
[21:07] - On Earth as It Is in Heaven
[23:08] - The Already and Not Yet of the Kingdom
[25:45] - No Area Exempt from Christ’s Reign
[28:26] - Making the World More Like Heaven
[31:10] - Recap: Living and Praying the Kingdom
[33:11] - A Prayer for Grace
[34:29] - Questions for Reflection and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Lord’s Prayer – Inviting God’s Kingdom Here and Now

Bible Reading

- Matthew 6:9-10
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.’”

- Psalm 115:1
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

- Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 6:9-10, what are the first three requests Jesus teaches us to pray for before asking for our own needs?

(See [03:46])

According to Psalm 115:1, whose glory should be the focus of our prayers and why?

(See [09:05])

In Luke 22:42, what does Jesus pray in the garden, and how does this reflect the phrase “your will be done”?

(See [18:23])

The sermon describes “hallowed be your name” as more than just praise. What does the pastor say this phrase is actually asking for?

(See [07:45])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus starts the Lord’s Prayer with a focus on God’s name, kingdom, and will, rather than our own needs?

(See [04:28])

The pastor says that praying “your kingdom come” is like “calling in air support” and asking for God’s reality to invade our world. What might it look like for God’s kingdom to “invade” someone’s life, family, or community?

(See [12:23])

When Jesus prays “not my will, but yours be done,” what does this teach us about how to handle our own desires when they conflict with God’s purposes?

(See [19:45])

The sermon talks about the “already, not yet” of God’s kingdom. What does it mean to live as “kingdom people” now, even though God’s kingdom is not fully realized?

(See [25:45])

Application Questions

The pastor suggests making the honor of God’s name our “first and greatest concern” in prayer. Practically, what would it look like for you to put God’s honor above your own desires or requests this week? Is there a specific area where you struggle to do this?

(See [08:27])

When you pray “your kingdom come,” are you usually asking for God’s rule to expand, or are you more often asking God to do what you want? How could you shift your prayers to focus more on God’s purposes?

(See [16:18])

Think of a recent situation where your wants collided with what you sensed God wanted. How did you respond? What would it look like to say “yes, Lord, your will be done” in a similar situation this week?

(See [19:45])

The sermon says that “on earth as it is in heaven” is a call to step actively into God’s plan now. What is one practical way you could make your home, workplace, or community more like heaven this week—by seeking justice, showing mercy, or loving as Jesus loved?

(See [29:11])

The pastor asks, “Is there any area of my life that I treat as exempt from God’s kingdom?” Are there parts of your life where you resist God’s authority? What would it look like to invite Christ’s reign into those areas?

(See [25:45])

The sermon mentions that seeking God’s kingdom doesn’t always look “churchy.” Can you think of a non-church activity where you could intentionally seek God’s kingdom this week?

(See [27:46])

The pastor admits he doesn’t always pray this way and needs Jesus to teach him. What helps you remember to pray with God’s priorities in mind? Is there a habit or reminder you could put in place to help you pray more like Jesus taught?

(See [33:51])

Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray the Lord’s Prayer together, slowly and thoughtfully, pausing after each phrase to reflect on what it means in their own lives.

Sermon Clips

“Prayer invokes God's will and glory to invade our story. I spent a I spent a good bit of time in in uh preparation for this thinking about whether or not I should use that word invokes because it's it's not a common word uh invokes what does it mean it means literally to call in that's the literal interpretation of the word.”

“When we use the word invoke that is what it means we are invoking we are calling in we are calling upon God's will and God's glory to invade our story and our lives let's look at the phrases that we've that we're addressing this morning one by one.”

“When we pray "Hallowed be thy name," we are invoking the presence of God to glorify his name to honor his name above everything else that we're praying about now is it coincidental do you think that this is the first request in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray.”

“The very first request when you come to the father in prayer Jesus said the first thing you ask for is that his name be hallowed that his name be honored that his name be held in esteem that his name be lifted up that is the first request we are to pray.”

“Seek the honor of God's name above everything else that's what Jesus is teaching us to do seek the honor of God's name above everything else it's what it means when we pray the Lord's Prayer we read in Psalm 115 the psalmist writes "Not to us O Lord not to us but to your name be glory."”

“What if the honor of God's name became our very first concern when we pray would that change how we pray when we come into God's presence and say "Our Father in heaven may your name be honored above all things may your name be held in high esteem may your name be set apart as holy may your name be honored."”

“May it all come under this umbrella of honoring your name may your name be honored in everything else I pray today that's our first prayer that's our first prayer prayer invokes God's will and glory the glory of his name it calls on the glory of his name to invade our story.”

“When you pray call on heaven to break into our world that's what we're doing when we pray your kingdom come we're calling on heaven to invade our space to break into the world that we live in to break into our lives to break into our families to break into our homes to break into our communities to break into our church lord may your kingdom come.”

“We know that you have done great things in the past and we ask that you would invade our world now invade our space now may your kingdom come into our lives now last week I shared this uh this diagram this ven diagram with you about God's God's reality that we call heaven God's ultimate reality and what we perceive are different but they're not distant.”

“When we pray your kingdom come what we are asking is for God's realm to come more and more and more into our realm for God's realm to invade our space instead of it just being a sliver lord we pray that your kingdom your kingdom would invade our our our lives and our homes and in the here and now not just in the then and there.”

“Do my prayers sound like I'm calling on God for an intervention that I'm calling on God for an invasion do my prayers sound like I'm seeking heaven's rule to expand over my world or do my prayers sound more like I'm trying to get God to do what I want in my world.”

“It is an active calling out God's your will let it be done let it be done it's praying that God's will will truly be accomplished and that means that I've got to say no to some of my own stuff don't I in order for that to happen and so when you pray say yes to God's way over ours our way the stuff that we want the stuff that we want.”

“What do I do when my wants collide with God's purposes that happens doesn't it when what I want my ideas my plans the way I think life should go what do I do when my wants collide with God's purposes is my heart quick to say yes Lord yes Lord that's what Jesus taught us to pray your will be done your will Father be done.”

“When we pray this we are committing to step actively into what God is doing and wants to do on earth here and now lord your kingdom your will on earth just like it is in heaven may that overlap of heaven and earth grow bigger and bigger and bigger and I want to be part of it i want to be part of seeing that happen.”

“As kingdom people the reign of Christ should be actively evident in every aspect of our lives here and now is there any aspect of our lives as Christians that is exempt from this is there any area of our lives as Christ followers where we can say "Well the kingdom of God doesn't belong here."”

“Anytime that you and I in the name of Jesus are working to write a wrong we are working to undo an injustice we are working to relieve someone's pain or to dry someone's tears or to feed someone's hunger or to lift up the fallen or heal the broken when we are in Jesus' name doing anything to make this world more like heaven we are seeking God's kingdom and we are living in God's kingdom and we are moving forward God's kingdom.”

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