[There is an accompanying booklet for our series with the 5 studies, weekly prayer challenges, places for notes and more. If you have not yet, you can download it here]

This week we pick up where we left off in Matthew 6, but before we jump into week 2 share with each other:

• How did starting each prayer with ‘our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’ impact your prayer life over the past week?  

• Was there anything that particularly stood out from the message on Sunday that you felt God was speaking to you through?

Your Kingdom come

The kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven) is a significant concept throughout the Bible and takes central stage in the teaching of Jesus. Broadly speaking, the Kingdom of God means God’s rule and his reign, his kingship, his sovereignty. Individually, to be saved into God’s kingdom is to embrace the comprehensive rule of God over every aspect of your life (and enjoy the associated blessings).

• In what ways do we currently experience the kingdom of God, and in what ways do we not yet experience the fullness of the kingdom of God?[1]

• What do you think Jesus means when he teaches us to pray for God’s kingdom to come?

• Is there a particular situation in your life or in our world where you are praying to see God’s kingdom come in greater measure?

Praying ‘your kingdom come’ is about desiring to experience the fullness of God’s rule and reign in our lives and across our world.

• How does praying ‘your kingdom come’ help align (and re-align) your desires, attitudes and priorities?

• How might the types of things we pray for/about help us keep such a kingdom perspective?

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Aldous Huxley comments that this part of the Lord’s Prayer is ‘repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone’s will be done but their own’. 

• Do you think that’s a harsh but perhaps fair observation?

• What would shift in your prayer life if you consistently included a time of praying for your obedience to living God’s ways?

• Can you share a time where you found delight in putting God’s will above your own in a specific choice or behaviour?

In one sense, the prayer ‘your will be done’ is a prayer for global justice; to see nations, organisations, and all people act in the way that God intends.

• What heartache, hurts, injustice and brokenness are perpetuated in our world by God’s will not being done on earth as in heaven?

At another level, ‘you will be done’ is a prayer of personal submission; where we submit our will to God’s will. It is also an expression of our deep trust in our God (that his will is ultimately best!).  Read Mark 14:32-42

• How can we follow the example of Jesus in our prayer life?

• What are you currently holding on to that you know you need to submit to God’s will? 

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[1] Jesus began his public ministry by declaring that the Kingdom has come near (Matt 4:17). He taught that it is already in our midst (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus also taught that the Kingdom was something not yet here in all its fullness (Luke 19:11, 22:18)