Years ago in Canada, many years ago in public school we started the day with the Lord’s Prayer. Those who are my age and older will remember it. People who have been brought up or been through liturgies of church or private school will also remember it. It was actually given to us as our prayer. Jesus gave it as instruction by saying, “When you pray, say…” (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV). One of the lines in that instruction by Jesus was to say, “…your kingdom come… just as it is in heaven.”
Luke, the writer in another place, gave an explanation of what the Kingdom of God was. He said that the Kingdom of God wasn’t an observable kingdom, (Luke 17:20, NIV); in other words, it is not a kingdom of concrete or building, of location or physical presence. Rather it is a kingdom of “righteousness, peace and joy…” (Romans 14:17, NIV). These three qualities can live and be real on the inside.
So, the way that we can pray is actually asking for God’s ‘rule of peace’ to come into my day and my circumstances, from the inside out, today, right now.
He has faithfully answered that prayer for me, and probably without exception.
He hasn’t always given me what I wanted, what I thought I needed, what I was begging him for, but he has always given me peace. He has poured out his peace in the moment and for the moment while he has worked on my circumstances and on myself for the answer.
Since he doesn’t respect one person more than another, he will do the same for you. He will give you his ‘peace rule’ if you just ask. “Lord, your kingdom come, your peace come and rule in my circumstances. Amen.”
Peace.
You don’t have to; You get to!