Thy Kingdom Come | Derek Prince

An urgent call is made to reclaim prayer’s true authority by aligning daily devotion with the Father’s purposes. Prayer is portrayed as an unlimited avenue through which God’s omnipotence is released, but its effectiveness depends on three interlocking conditions: faith, conformity to God’s Word, and praying within God’s will. Addressing God as “Father” reshapes prayer from a transactional request list into intimate worship marked by reverence, family-consciousness, and surrender. The Lord’s Prayer is read as a strategic pattern: begin by invoking God’s holiness and the coming of His kingdom, then submit personal desires to God’s will so that heaven’s order can be worked out on earth.

The kingdom is defined practically—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit—and righteousness must precede any authentic peace. The kingdom arrives inwardly when Jesus is crowned Lord of the heart, corporately as the church models kingdom life, and ultimately visibly when Christ returns. Human efforts and social programs, however well-intentioned, cannot replace the kingdom’s transformative power; lasting change flows where the Spirit brings righteousness that reorders societies. Historical examples are offered as testimony to the potency of aligned prayer: corporate and personal prayers that intersected with God’s purposes have, in key moments, redirected events beyond human strategy.

Practical steps to live under kingdom priority are emphasized. Seeking the kingdom and its righteousness first recalibrates priorities so material needs follow rather than drive petitions. Discovering God’s will requires a radical consecration: present the body as a living sacrifice, allow God to renew the mind, and find one’s appointed place in the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts and faith are given proportionally to roles within the body, enabling effective service without futile striving. The address closes with a solemn invitation to submit the body to God’s rule—an act presented as the essential first move toward prayers that change families, nations, and history.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Pray for God's kingdom first Aligning prayer with God’s reign shifts motive and method. When petitions begin with “your kingdom come,” requests are framed within divine priority rather than private preference, making those prayers shaped, strategic, and more likely to produce heaven’s solutions in earthly circumstances. This orientation trains the heart to seek systemic, spiritual transformation instead of temporary fixes. [14:55]
• 2. Embrace God's will over yours Surrendering personal agendas is not passive resignation but active trust in divine wisdom. Saying “not my will” withdraws the constant friction between finite desire and sovereign direction, freeing the believer to be used where God’s purposes prevail. Embracing God’s will often re-routes apparent loss into long-term blessing that finite sight cannot foresee. [34:12]
• 3. Present body as living sacrifice Consecration is concrete: the body placed on God’s altar signifies daily decisions surrendered to divine governance. This initial act of yielding authorizes God to direct thoughts, choices, service, and rest, which in turn allows spiritual transformation to become habitual rather than sporadic. Genuine surrender also reorders ambition into faithful belonging within the body of Christ. [49:37]
• 4. Renewed mind discerns God's will The discovery of God’s will follows the mind’s transformation, not merely moral effort. As the mind is renewed by Scripture and the Spirit, judgment about priorities, opportunities, and relationships becomes aligned with God’s purposes, revealing both the shape of service and the faith needed for it. Without renewal, proposals of God remain abstract rather than actionable. [51:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:22] - Who is truly influential?
• [01:21] - Prayer's unlimited scope
• [03:16] - Conditions for answered prayer
• [05:25] - Lord's Prayer as model
• [06:43] - Addressing God as Father
• [14:55] - "Your kingdom come" explained
• [22:38] - Kingdom defined (Romans 14:17)
• [25:04] - Kingdom within and in church
• [31:11] - Visible kingdom and Christ's return
• [33:19] - Prayer as alignment with God
• [49:11] - Present body a living sacrifice
• [55:45] - Invitation to surrender

1. According to the passage, what are the first two things we are directed to pray for before asking for our own needs?
2. What three conditions for effective prayer were identified from the Scriptures in Matthew 21:22, John 15:7, and 1 John 5:14–15? [03:16]
3. How is the kingdom of God defined in Romans 14:17, and what is the order of its essential qualities? [22:38]
4. What practical example was given of how a Christian family can model the kingdom of God to the world? [29:19]

1. Why is it significant that Jesus instructs us to address God as “Father” before making any requests? How does this reshape our understanding of prayer? [06:43]
2. What does it mean to pray “Your kingdom come,” and how does this align our prayers with God’s ultimate purpose? [16:58]
3. The statement was made: “Prayer is not a way for you to get God to do what you want. Prayer is a way for you to become an instrument for God to do what he wants.” [33:44] How does this change the way we approach prayer?
4. Why must righteousness come before peace in the expression of God’s kingdom? What happens when people or churches pursue peace without righteousness? [23:10]

1. When you pray, do you typically start with your needs or with God’s purposes? What would it look like this week to begin your prayer time by saying, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done”? [14:55]
2. Is there a situation in your life right now where you’ve been insisting on your own will instead of surrendering to God’s? What would it mean to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done” in that area? [35:12]
3. Have you ever presented your body to God as a living sacrifice, surrendering control of your time, decisions, and physical life to Him? What would need to change for you to live like your body belongs to God and not to you? [49:37]
4. How can your family or small group better demonstrate the kingdom values of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit to those around you? [27:13]
5. Are you eagerly longing for the return of Jesus? If not, what might be holding you back from wanting His visible kingdom to come? [31:54]
6. In what practical ways can you renew your mind through Scripture and the Spirit so you can better discern God’s will? [51:07]
7. Do you struggle to believe that your prayers can actually change history? What would help you pray with more faith and alignment to God’s purposes? [38:39]