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“Pray like this: Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The central theme of this song is taken directly from the words of Jesus in what we call the Lord’s Prayer. Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “Pray, then, in this way:
> ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
> Hallowed be Your name.
> Your kingdom come.
> Your will be done,
> On earth as it is in heaven.’”
> — Matthew 6:9–10 (NASB)
These are not optional words. They are not religious poetry. They are a directive from the lips of the Son of God. Jesus did not merely say *what* to pray. He revealed *how* the Father intends His purposes to come into the earth: through praying, believing, and aligning with “Your kingdom come, Your will be done… on earth.”
This song is essentially a meditation and proclamation built around that one request: that heaven’s reality will touch earth—“here where we walk, where we live, where we breathe.” It is about the invasion of God’s rule into human experience: in our hearts, homes, bodies, relationships, churches, and nations.
The issue at stake is this: Are we living as passive spectators, waiting for the future, or as active participants, calling and cooperating with the rule of God *now*?
The words “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” are spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). The context is important.
### Who was speaking?
Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the kingdom of God. Matthew’s Gospel presents Jesus as the rightful King—the Son of David—announcing and demonstrating the kingdom.
### What was He doing?
He was instructing His disciples how to live as citizens of that kingdom. He was not giving them a formal liturgy but a pattern of prayer that expresses kingdom priorities.
Just before the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus warns against empty religious phrases and hypocritical prayer (Matthew 6:5–8). Then He says, “Pray, then, in this way.” In other words, this is how kingdom people pray when they are rightly aligned with the Father.
### What was the situation?
Israel was under Roman occupation. Many were longing for political deliverance. But Jesus announces something deeper and greater: the reign of God breaking into history—first in hearts, then in communities, ultimately in the whole created order.
In Mark 1:14–15, we read:
> “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”
So when Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come,” He is not teaching us a passive, distant desire. He is instructing us to align with what He Himself came to announce: the nearness and advance of God’s reign.
The song echoes that reality:
> “We’re not just wishing for the future
> We’re asking for heaven to touch the ground today.”
That is exactly what Jesus is calling for.
To understand this prayer, we must consider two central words: “kingdom” and “will.”
### 1. “Kingdom” – Greek: *basileia* (βασιλεία)
The Greek word *basileia* does not primarily mean a geographical territory. It means *rule*, *reign*, *dominion*, or *kingship*. It is the exercise of royal authority.
So when we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are not simply asking for a place called “heaven” to arrive. We are asking for the active rule of God—the exercise of His royal authority—to be made manifest.
In Hebrew, the Old Testament background uses *malkuth* (מַלְכוּת), which carries the same concept: the reigning, the kingship of God.
Thus we could paraphrase: “Father, let Your royal rule break in; let Your authority be exercised here.”
The song captures this when it declares:
> “Where Your rule is, there is freedom
> Where Your will reigns, there is peace.”
Where God’s *basileia* is acknowledged and obeyed, freedom and peace follow.
### 2. “Will” – Greek: *thelēma* (θέλημα)
The word *thelēma* means “will, desire, intention, what one wishes to happen.” It is not merely a passive wish but an active intention.
God’s will is His purposeful, moral, wise intention for His creation. It is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2).
When we pray, “Your will be done,” we are not asking God to accept *our* plans. We are surrendering our own will and asking His intention to be carried out *instead of* and *above* ours.
The song states it directly:
> “Not my plans, not my dreams
> But Yours be done in me
> Take my heart, shape my steps
> Make me part of what You’re doing.”
That is a practical expression of *thelēma*—yielding our internal desires and external steps to the will of God.
### “On Earth as it is in Heaven”
The Greek phrase is *epi gēs hōs en ouranō* (ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ). It means “upon earth, as in heaven.” Heaven is the pattern. Heaven is the measure.
In heaven, God’s will is done instantly, joyfully, completely. There is no resistance, no delay, no mixture. The song echoes this heavenly immediacy:
> “Just as it is in heaven right now
> No delay, no holding back
> Let heaven’s perfect ways break in.”
That is a scriptural desire. We are not asking for a second-rate version of God’s will on earth. We are asking for the same quality of obedience, alignment, and manifestation that exists in heaven.
Let us walk through the themes of the song and connect them with Scripture.
### A. “Pray like this: Your kingdom come…”
> “Pray like this: Your kingdom come
> Your will be done on earth
> Just as it is in heaven right now
> No delay, no holding back
> Let heaven’s perfect ways break in
> Here where we walk, where we live, where we breathe”
This stanza echoes Matthew 6:10 and presses the immediacy of that prayer.
Scripture teaches that heaven is not merely a future location, but a present realm where God’s authority is perfectly acknowledged. When Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, forgave sins, and proclaimed peace, He was demonstrating heaven touching earth.
Jesus said:
> “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
> — Matthew 12:28
Notice: “has come upon you”—not “will come” only in the future. The kingdom’s power began to invade history in the ministry of Jesus.
So when the song prays, “Let heaven’s perfect ways break in / Here where we walk,” it aligns with this reality: the presence of the King brings the powers of the age to come into the present (Hebrews 6:5).
This challenges passive Christianity. We are to *expect* the active intervention of God’s rule in our daily environment: workplaces, families, bodies.
### B. “We’re not just wishing for the future…”
> “We’re not just wishing for the future
> We’re asking for heaven to touch the ground today
> Justice rolling like a river
> Mercy flowing like a stream
> Sickness fleeing, chains breaking
> Every wrong thing made right again”
Here, the song moves from general prayer to specific manifestations of the kingdom.
#### 1. Justice and mercy
The language “justice rolling like a river” and “mercy flowing like a stream” echoes Amos 5:24:
> “But let justice roll down like waters
> And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
God’s kingdom includes both justice and mercy. They are not in conflict. The cross itself is the place where perfect justice and perfect mercy meet (Romans 3:25–26).
In heaven, there is no injustice, no oppression, no exploitation. When we ask for heaven’s rule on earth, we are asking that unjust structures, systems, and personal behaviors be confronted and changed.
Micah 6:8 summarizes God’s requirement:
> “He has told you, O man, what is good;
> And what does the Lord require of you
> But to do justice, to love kindness,
> And to walk humbly with your God?”
The kingdom is not sentimental. It produces concrete righteousness in relationships and society.
#### 2. Sickness fleeing, chains breaking
Where the kingdom comes, the works of the devil are overthrown. Jesus said of His mission:
> “The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
> to destroy the works of the devil.”
> — 1 John 3:8
Sickness is not part of heaven’s order. Bondage is not part of heaven’s order. When Jesus healed the sick, He was not merely showing compassion; He was enforcing the rule of God against the intrusion of Satan’s kingdom.
In Luke 13:16, when He healed a woman bound for eighteen years, He said:
> “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is,
> whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years,
> should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Notice: He attributes her bondage to Satan, and her healing to the rightful exercise of God’s kingdom rule.
So it is entirely biblical to pray and sing:
> “Sickness fleeing, chains breaking
> Every wrong thing made right again”
This does not mean we already see the *fullness* of that reality, but we are authorized to ask and contend for it.
### C. “Not my plans, not my dreams…”
> “Not my plans, not my dreams
> But Yours be done in me
> Take my heart, shape my steps
> Make me part of what You’re doing
> Where Your rule is, there is freedom
> Where Your will reigns, there is peace”
Here, the song shifts from global to personal. The kingdom must come *in us* before it can come *through us* in any consistent way.
#### 1. The surrender of our own will
Jesus Himself modeled this in Gethsemane:
> “Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
> — Matthew 26:39
The same Greek word *thelēma* is used. The Son yields His human will completely to the Father’s will. This is the decisive battle of every believer.
Romans 12:1–2 says we must present our bodies as living sacrifices and be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove “what the will (*thelēma*) of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The song’s words, “Take my heart, shape my steps,” reflect this: God’s will must govern our inner attitudes and outer actions.
#### 2. Freedom and peace under God’s rule
Many fear God’s will, as if it will restrict and diminish them. Scripture says the opposite.
2 Corinthians 3:17:
> “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
And Isaiah 32:17:
> “And the work of righteousness will be peace,
> And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.”
The reign of God does not produce slavery; it liberates us from the true tyrants—sin, self, Satan. The greatest freedom a human being can know is to be completely aligned with the will of the Creator.
### D. “Every time we pray these words…”
> “Every time we pray these words
> We’re joining angels’ endless song
> We’re saying ‘Yes’ to heaven’s rule
> We’re saying ‘Come, Lord, make things new’
> Break in with power, break in with love
> Let earth look more like home above”
The book of Revelation gives us glimpses of heaven’s worship. Angels continually acknowledge God’s holiness, worthiness, and dominion.
Revelation 5:11–12:
> “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne…
> saying with a loud voice,
> ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
> to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’”
When we pray “Your kingdom come,” we align our voices with that heavenly acknowledgment of the Lamb’s worthiness to rule.
#### 1. “Come, Lord, make things new”
This line echoes the cry of the church in Revelation 22:17, 20:
> “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’…
> He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’
> Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
We must understand there is a dual dimension:
Both are biblical. The song correctly embraces both dimensions: present invasion of the kingdom and future consummation.
#### 2. “Break in with power, break in with love”
The kingdom does not come by human effort or mere moralism. It comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 4:20:
> “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”
And yet that power is rooted in love. Galatians 5:6 says, “faith working through love.” God’s kingdom is not harsh domination. It is righteous, loving government.
### E. “Until the day You come in glory…”
> “Until the day You come in glory
> We keep praying, we keep believing
> Your kingdom advancing in small ways and great
> Through forgiven hearts and open hands
> On earth—right here—as it is in heaven”
This final theme addresses the “already and not yet” nature of the kingdom.
#### 1. The already and not yet
Jesus has already inaugurated the kingdom at His first coming. Yet the full manifestation awaits His return. Therefore, we live in a tension: we have tasted, but we have not yet fully received.
Hebrews 12:28 says:
> “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken…”
We are *receiving* a kingdom—present continuous. It is unfolding. And yet Hebrews 2:8 admits:
> “But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”
So what is our posture? “We keep praying, we keep believing.” Persistence in prayer is commanded.
Luke 18:1:
> “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”
#### 2. “Small ways and great”
The kingdom advances both in visible, dramatic ways and in hidden, quiet ways.
Jesus compared the kingdom to:
The song recognizes this: “in small ways and great.” A healed body, a reconciled marriage, a forgiven enemy, a gospel-preaching church—these are all manifestations of the kingdom.
#### 3. “Through forgiven hearts and open hands”
Here we touch a vital principle: the kingdom advances through transformed people.
James 2:13:
> “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
When we show mercy, forgive, and give, we are demonstrating the reality of a different kingdom—one not ruled by fear, greed, or revenge.
The kingdom prayer must not remain theory. How do we walk in it? I will outline four practical responses—each can be turned into a proclamation.
### 1. Align Your Personal Will with God’s Will
First, we must renounce the supremacy of our own plans and dreams and consciously yield to God’s *thelēma*.
Practical steps:
A proclamation you may speak:
> “Father, I lay down my own will, plans, and dreams. I choose Your will. I present my body to You as a living sacrifice. Shape my thoughts, my desires, and my steps according to Your purpose.”
### 2. Pray the Kingdom Prayer Intentionally and Specifically
Second, we must take Jesus’ directive seriously and pray “Your kingdom come” over concrete areas.
Practical steps:
A proclamation you may speak:
> “Lord, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life, my family, my church, and my nation. Let heaven’s order invade these areas. Let what is not of You be removed, and what is of You be established.”
### 3. Wage Spiritual Warfare Against the Works of Darkness
Third, since the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are in conflict, we must engage in spiritual warfare.
Practical steps:
A proclamation you may speak:
> “In the name of Jesus, I resist every work of Satan against my life and my family. I declare that the kingdom of God is at hand. Sickness must flee, chains must break, and every work of darkness must bow to the authority of Jesus Christ.”
### 4. Manifest the Kingdom Through Forgiveness and Generosity
Fourth, we must demonstrate the kingdom in our relationships and resources.
Practical steps:
A proclamation you may speak:
> “Lord, because I have been forgiven, I choose to forgive others. I release every debt I hold in my heart. I open my hands to give and serve as You lead. Let my life become a channel of Your mercy, justice, and peace.”
### Proclamation
Speak this aloud, deliberately:
> “Father in heaven,
> Hallowed be Your name.
> Your kingdom come, Your will be done
> On earth as it is in heaven.
> Let Your rule break into my heart, my home, my church, and my nation.
> Where Your rule is, there is freedom;
> Where Your will reigns, there is peace.
> Let justice roll like a river
> And mercy flow like a stream.
> Let sickness flee, let chains break,
> Let every wrong thing be set right under the lordship of Jesus.
> I lay down my plans and my dreams;
> I say, ‘Not my will, but Yours be done in me.’
> Use my forgiven heart and my open hands
> To advance Your kingdom in small ways and great.
> Until the day Jesus comes in glory,
> I will keep praying, I will keep believing:
> Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
> On earth—right here—as it is in heaven.
> In the name of Jesus, Amen.”
### Prayer
Now a focused prayer to seal this teaching:
“Lord Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, I acknowledge You as the rightful ruler over heaven and earth. I confess that many times I have sought my own will more than Yours. I ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me.
Holy Spirit, write this prayer—‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done’—deep in my heart. Teach me to pray it, believe it, and live it. Let heaven’s order invade every area of my life. Where there is sickness, bring Your healing. Where there is bondage, bring Your liberty. Where there is injustice and bitterness, bring Your justice and Your mercy.
Make me an instrument of Your kingdom—an agent of reconciliation, a carrier of Your presence, a vessel of Your love and power. Until the day Jesus appears in glory, keep me faithful in prayer, steadfast in faith, and surrendered to Your will.
I declare that the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong to You forever and ever. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”
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