Week 4, day 2: How do you picture God's kingdom?

“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (NIV)

“may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Good News)

Lizzie Jackson writes:

I always have a very clear image in my head when I say ‘God’s kingdom’. I picture God on his throne and people of all races and cultures gathered around, worshipping him together. But it occurred to me that what we mean by ‘God’s Kingdom’ varies a lot between people. When we pray this line, what are each of us actually praying for? I decided to ask some friends what they picture when they think about God’s Kingdom:

The first two friends pictured the new creation. One sees Earth but the same way she imagines Eden. Everything that much brighter. “Like suddenly turning the brightness up on your phone and you can see everything so much clearer”. The other pictured nature completely new, restored and people in permanent communion with God.

This is a beautiful perspective. But from this perspective I sometimes struggle to pray for the Kingdom to come because I have a non-Christian family and I wonder what that looks like for them. It takes a lot of trust to pray that line.

The third friend had a different perspective. She said she didn’t really picture anything, just thought of the phrase:“The Kingdom is God’s will accomplished”

With her perspective, there is an element of eternity to this prayer but also a message for now. We can bring God’s kingdom closer the more we act according to his will and allow it to prevail. ‘Your kingdom come’ means God’s will shall be done and Earth is made a little more like heaven.