Key Bible Passage(s):
Matthew 13; Matthew 25
Tier 1:
We come in prayer before the God who is ‘our Father in heaven’. As we saw previously, one of the key things Jesus is reminding us of is that our Father is on a throne. He is the King. A key aspect of any authentic pattern of Christian prayer is for His Rule as King to be recognised and put into effect; and that His authority is accepted and bowed to.
Tier 2:
There is an inner logic in the Lord’s Prayer, and after orienting to the worship and exaltation of God’s Name, we are lead to capitulate to the rule of God as King in our own experience of life. This again links our life of prayer to our wider life of discipleship. This requires cafreful thought and self-examination. Do we know what is decreed by our King? Our prayer stumbles at the point where we refuse to bow the knee to our King, and to see His reign and rule to be established in our own lives…
Tier 3:
Beyond our own personal experience of His reign, we are called to pray for His Kingdom to be extended to include others, who in turn will learn to recognise God as their King. This commits us to praying for (and again being involved in) evangelism (Matt.24:14). But it also has a future focus, looking forward to the full establishing of the Kingdom of God at the end of history, when all of creation is renewed and restored to the reign of God.
To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world…
Karl Barth
Group Discussion:
Early in the session, have a look at the following passages, asking of each what Jesus is teaching about the kingdom, and how can that shape our prayers…?
we’ll be praying later, so a chance to feedback and take note and use when we pray ‘your kingdom come’ later this evening.
Matt.13:1-8 (& 18-23), parable of the sower
Matt.13:24-30 (& 36-43) parable of the weeds
Matt.13:47-52, parable of the net
Matt.18:1-9, the greatest in the kingdom of heaven
Matt.18:21-35, parable of the unmerciful servant
Matt.25:1-13, parable of the virgins
Matt.25:14-30, parable of the bags of gold
Matt.25:31-46, parable of the sheep and goats
if you need extra passages, include: Matt.19:16-30; Matt.20:1-16; Matt.22:1-14
and later in the session:
What are you looking forward to most about the fully established Kingdom of God?
Why might you be hesitant about praying for the return of Jesus, and the establishing of His kingdom? How can you navigate that so that you can joyfully pray as Jesus teaches?
How could our Church more faithfully reflect the life and culture of the Kingdom of God?
Are we in danger of developing an escapist spirituality that would lead us to withdraw from the needs of our world?
Homework:
Over this half-term we have been working to memorise Matthew 6:5-15. You will have to keep refreshing Matt.5:1-16 whilst you do this.
(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the next 3 years)
To Be A Christian: Q&A 178-182
Prepare for praying together through ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’
Over the next month:
Keep a note of when, what, how you pray throughout this month
When do I pray…? ...or not pray?
Are there times when I’m praying more often?
What am I praying about…? for…?
Are my prayers being answered?
This will not be shared.