Day Nine: Pray For Kingdom Realities

The following post was written by Mike Santistevan, pastor of Bridgeway Church in Ambridge, PA.

Focus Verse:  Matthew 6:9-13

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Application: In this model prayer, Jesus teaches us to seek first the glory and kingdom of God in all things. After honoring his name and seeking his will, we can then turn to matters of practical need, such as “daily bread”. Today, most people buy their daily bread from the income they receive. At the G20 summit, we are praying that the decisions would lead to greater economic stability, thus enabling more daily bread for more people.

Not only does God care about meeting our practical needs. He cares about meeting our spiritual needs such as forgiveness and deliverance from temptation and evil. This is God’s desire for the G20 summit and for the countries of the earth. When we agree with the spirit of this prayer, we can have the confidence that we are praying according to the will of God.

Prayer Focus:

This passage encourages several prayer focuses.

1. Worship- “hallowed be our name”. May God be glorified and his name exalted as a result of the G20 summit.
2. God’s will to be done- “on earth as it is in heaven”. May the will of God prevail in all decisions, plans and strategies that are undertaken at the G20 summit.
3. Meeting of practical needs- “give us this day our daily bread”. May the leaders of our world have the wisdom to make the best decisions that lead to the best practical results.
4. Forgiveness- “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”. May the global economic climate lead more and more people into a relationship with God in which they experience his forgiveness.
5. Deliverance from evil- “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. May the G20 summit be free from the influence of evil. May righteousness and justice prevail in the name of Jesus.

Amen!