Throughout the years of interacting with, reading, and listening to an uncountable number of Christians, it has astounded me they, for the most part, aren't aware of the comprehensive call believers have in this world.
It is probably stated simply and best in response to the disciples' request for Jesus to teach them how to pray. I want to focus on the portion where He told us to pray, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven' (Mt. 6:10). It can't get any clearer than that. We are to pray that the same way the will of God and kingdom of God are expressed in heaven, is to be the same way they are expressed on the earth.
That means all areas of life in this world are to come under the dominion of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that will be left untouched by the great Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As the Great Commission states (Mt: 18-20):
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Again, this is a comprehensive command from Jesus. It begins with the fact that all power was given to Him in heaven and earth, an obvious reference coinciding with our being told to pray for His will to be done and His kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. We can do it because Jesus in fact has all power in heaven and earth. There is none He doesn't have. And He shares that authority with His people to accomplish His will of taking dominion over the earth, which was commanded to the first human beings - Adam and Eve.
What are we praying for when we pray the prayer Jesus taught us? We're praying that every area of life on this earth is permeated with the person of Jesus Christ; that all things in the Holy Scriptures are obeyed and adopted as how we are to live life on this earth.
It of course demands responsibility. But this is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Spirit, in order to help us to accomplish our God-given tasks.
We must learn to broaden our view of what Jesus was communicating to us. He does expect to come back to a world that has responded to His call and requirements. He will come back to a world that is full of the presence of God, in that people everywhere will have adopted His commands as their way of life.
There is nothing that can stop this from happening. We must take up this banner and march forward, knowing that He has promised us victory.
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