When we consider the Our Father prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) from the standpoint of God’s promise to Abraham, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3), it adds a new dimension to this prayer. This prayer furthers a vision that the Lord has today, to bless all nations.
We pray, “Our Father, who is in heaven.” We are not praying for a man-made utopia but a kingdom rule that comes from above. We are praying to God the Father because He directs the work of blessing us. God is going to bless all nations, and He has a way; and for His followers, it comes through the obedience of their faith toward Christ.
Those who are born of God share in the traits of the parent. Our Father is in heaven; so His followers will be heavenly minded. They will be Spirit-minded, not carnal (Romans 8:6). They will set their minds above, where Christ rules with the Father (Colossians 3:1), attentive to His rule over them. Growing in this faith, they receive strength to stand against sin, and are set free to obey Him. This is because God is the source of life in this kingdom we pray for and live in. He is its power and glory, and we forget this to our peril.
We pray, “Hallowed be Your name.” God did great signs and wonders among the Jews in Egypt and Canaan. Then He gave them the laws of a just and orderly society at Mount Sinai. These facts accomplish two things. First, it establishes that He is a God like no other god. His name is exalted above all gods, for no other god has worked this way (Deuteronomy 4:32-35; also see Philippians 2:9-11). Secondly, Israel became a showcase of the Lord’s love and mercy, righteousness and justice when the surrounding nations saw how the Lord abundantly blessed Israel when they obeyed the laws of Moses (Deuteronomy 4:6). In this way the Lord will bless the nations that believe in Him: When He is honored above all gods, and when His people live lives of obedience to Him. (See The Mission of God, by Christopher J. H. Wright, for details).
Similarly, the name of Jesus should be exalted above all gods by His followers. What other god has come to earth to die on behalf of his sinful creatures and redeem them by his blood? And where the Son is exalted, the Father is honored (John 5:22-23). The New Testament presents the kingdom values by which blood-bought followers of Jesus will be blessed before a watching public. Christians are to be the light of the world, to live out His holiness by following the Word, then through their gospel the Lord blesses the nations that are converted to His name. Let them see your holy works and glorify the God and Father in heaven.
We pray, “Your kingdom come.” The Father’s kingdom is composed of servants who do His will. These servants are children of God who honor His name, “Father,” and live dependent on Him. He rules over us as our heavenly parent, so we look to Him to direct our steps. We are not the ones in charge over the kingdom.
When we are obedient to His rule in the Word, we live differently from the world. We have love, joy, self-control and more due to our relationship with the Father and the Son. This blessing happens when we live under the rule of our God and not the idols of this world. We want these kingdom traits written on our hearts to spread to all nations. When we boast in society’s idols, though, we lose our distinctiveness, just as did the Israelites when they pursued the idols of the surrounding peoples.
We pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How is the Father’s will done on earth? The example of Jesus in the gospels show us how it is done. It was God working through Christ to do good to all. The Father sent the Son, who was filled with the Spirit. The Son was obedient to the Father and honored His name. Jesus, anointed by the Spirit, accomplished the will of God on earth.
The Father’s method hasn’t changed. Through Christian disciples on earth, the Holy Spirit illuminates and leads the body of Christ to do the will of God. The disciples deny themselves, take up their cross, and yield themselves to God as living sacrifices. They read the Word and follow through with a faith that works in love. Christ sends His disciples out to be the light of the world to reflect the light of God’s holiness. They bear witness to the Father and the Son. Then the Lord’s plan, begun with Abram in Genesis 12:3, continues: To make Himself known above all other gods, and bless all the nations on the earth, those who repent and believe the gospel.
God’s will is done on earth by His sons like His will is done in heaven by the Son. Not necessarily by the angels: Some angels have turned rogue along with Satan (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:9). The Lord has charged some angels with error (Job 4:18). By the ever-faithful Son the will of God is done in heaven. When we partner with the Savior of the world, His purposes will be done on earth and His kingdom will expand.
With this Our Father prayer, God wants His followers to partner with Him in the establishing of His kingdom. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ ” (Matthew 28:18-20).
His disciples live holy lives to distinguish themselves from the world and to set the Father and the Son above all gods (John 14:6). They receive His will as they study the Word and receive Spirit-led light, then follow through in response (John 14:21-23). The followers learn to live by faith in God, not faith in themselves. By being led by the Spirit and not the promptings of the flesh. By the blessings of grace and not the burdens of the law.
Throughout this transforming work, God is hallowed. His name alone is exalted. The holy disciple bears the image of God carrying the glory of Christ within (2 Corinthians 4:5-7). His servants convey that image to all the nations. Then God’s promise of being a blessing to all nations will be fulfilled in the fullness of His kingdom: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ ” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Pray for His kingdom to come. Pray for wisdom from the Word to become His agent on earth, one who will desire His kingdom rule over yourself, and who will exalt His name and do His will.
