Living in God's Kingdom
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
9 You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. 10 Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. 11 Give us our food for today. 12 Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. 13 Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.
Matthew 6: 9-13
Memory Verse
Proverbs 9:10
10 Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.
When you read the Bible, have you noticed it is full of stories about the kingdom of God? Is the kingdom of God a place? Is it a thing? Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel write about God’s eternal kingdom. John the Baptist speaks about the kingdom of God coming. And then, when you read about Jesus, he says things like “The kingdom of God is near,” and he compares God’s kingdom to a valuable pearl and even to a mustard seed. Have you ever wondered just what this kingdom of God is? What does it mean to be part of God’s kingdom?
You might recognize the words in today’s Bible reading as the Lord’s prayer. Jesus taught it to his followers, and one line says to pray: “Come and set up your kingdom so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven.” When you pray that prayer, you don’t just sit back and wait for God to do all the work. You get to be a part of making God's kingdom real right now! Being kingdom-minded means you recognize that God is in charge of everything, and you choose to follow God's ways because you love him!
You can live into the kingdom of God when you see how God is active in your life. You become a citizen of God’s kingdom when you allow God to guide your thoughts, actions, and decisions. Being a part of it means learning to treat others with respect and compassion, just as Jesus did. This week, how can you live as a citizen of God’s kingdom? In what ways can you show others how to be part of it?
Prayer
God, thank you for making me a citizen of your kingdom. Help me treat others with respect and compassion, just as Jesus did. Amen.Related Resources
Tanya Yuen
Tanya Yuen is a pastor who serves in the denominational office of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec with the privilege of supporting pastors in children and family ministry. She also gets to spend time in Muskoka at Camp Kwasind in the summer, sharing about Jesus with kids. She is mom to 3 girls and together with her husband, Alfred. They spend as much time as possible hiking the trails around the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario.