Over and over, scripture says that Jesus preached and taught the good news of the kingdom.

For many Christians, "Thy Kingdom come" is a statement of ultimate longing. The Kingdom refers to an everlasting realm where Jesus is Lord of all. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The word Kingdom is used synonymously with heaven for most people. This place, this reality, where Jesus gets His due and where every tear is wiped dry and warfare ceases – that is our ultimate hope.

Daniel writes about the eternal Kingdom of the Most High God, "Where His dominion endures from generation to generation."

John 18:36 quotes Jesus as saying to Pontius Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of the world. If it were, my servants would have fought to prevent my arrest."

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells story after story about the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is like a field where the weeds and wheat, having grown side by side, are separated – weeds to be burned, the wheat to be gathered. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl, or a treasure, worth selling everything to possess. All of these images lead us to believe that there is a realm, a place, a time so good that the hope of it becomes a foundation for our faith, better than any treasure this side of heaven.

Matthew 24:14 would even indicate that we play a part in bringing in the Kingdom. We can usher in that day, some say, by preaching the gospel to all nations.

So it's common to use futuristic language to describe the Kingdom. So some pray, "Thy Kingdom," and they mean an end to the current system of life and the beginning of a new age, where Christ is obviously Lord of all. Please Lord, Thy Kingdom come. Usher in your Kingdom.

For others, the Kingdom has a very present reality. John the Baptist preaches about the coming of the Christ, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." There is immediacy to the Kingdom, as if any place where Christ is and any realm under the influence of Christ is subject to His authority. Some Christians are more focused on the immediate and earthly implications of the Kingdom than the future or ultimate implications. Some would say that bringing in the Kingdom of God has less to do with preaching the gospel to all people groups and more to do with bringing the whole earth under the influence of God's values. Bringing in the Kingdom is about bringing in peace and justice and mercy and compassion. Rather than bringing more folks to the Kingdom, some Christians are more focused on bringing the Kingdom and its unique ways of life to folks. So when some say "Thy Kingdom come," they mean. "May Thy Kingdom values sweep across the face of the earth."

Some Christians are actually polarized between two views of the Kingdom, developing elaborate arguments for their positions. You could say that the conservative/liberal (evangelical/social gospel) divide in the Western church often finds it fundamental wedge to be this one point – are we supposed to bring people of the earth into the Kingdom of God or are we supposed to bring the Kingdom of God to the people of earth?

In its extreme, the first view of the heavenly Kingdom smacks of cynicism about earth and the future of this planet and its people. In its extreme, the "heavenly Kingdom" argument can be dismissive about human ills and has too often said, "Who care about earth; the whole place is going to burn someday anyway."

The other extreme, bringing the Kingdom to earth, is often too cynical about spiritual matters and other realms of existence, like heaven. It is often too earthy and swept up in political movements and social trends, as if this life were an end in itself; treating Jesus as merely a social liberator and less than a king.

Some of us don't want to choose between the two, but are actually committed to a both/and view of the Kingdom. Yes, the Kingdom of God is an actual realm in an actual place and time, where Christ does or will reign forever and ever. And yes, our citizenship in that Kingdom, established by our faith in the King, makes us ambassadors and agents of that Kingdom to this earth, bringing every possible realm under the influence of the King's values and hopes. Yes, we want to preach good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight to the blind, release to the oppressed, etc. Why? Because, whether others know Jesus as King or not, these are the kinds of things that represent the King's agenda. For those of us who see the Kingdom in now and then terms, our theme verse might be 1 Corinthians 15:24 "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power."

Usually, when Jesus is talking about the Kingdom, He's talking about the heart being the primary realm of interest. Luke 17:20-21 "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, Here it is, or There it is, because the kingdom of God is within you."

Luke 17 does talk about the days when Jesus will be revealed as Lord of all. But in verse 21, Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is within you, as if the issue isn't so much geographical or eschatological, but deeply personal. Again, is the realm of heart subject to the kingship of Christ and open to His agenda for change?

So, then, the prayer "Thy Kingdom Come" can mean, "Lord, come into my heart and establish your reign in me."

That sense of submission leads perfectly into the next line, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Again, for one camp, that is an invitation for the Lord to establish His kingdom (in ultimate terms…) so that His Lordship is plainly seen in heaven and on earth – all being brought together into union under Christ. The ultimate answer to this prayer is the dominion of Christ realized in all the universe.

Again, for another camp, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" means bringing every influence to bear on this earth until justice and mercy and love are the descriptors of the human community. The unfolding answer to this prayer is, however slowly metered, a better world.

And again, some of us don't need to choose. We can cling to the hope of a day when Christ merges the earthly realm with heavenly realm and takes the Lordship of all and the whole mess starts to make sense. We can also cling to kingdom values and try to teach them, live them, preach them, spread them in hopes that this earth can be a better place. For all of us, we can search our hearts and deal with the core question, "What do I do with this Jesus?" More accurately, "What is this Jesus doing with me?"

Which leads to such a critical part of the prayer, "Thy will be done." This prayer seems to involve a submission to God's will and even a celebration or veneration of God's will over my own will; over our own wills. So what is God's will for my life?

There are some things about God's will for my life, and your life that are clearly revealed in scripture. I like Ephesians 2:10. "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepares in advance for us to do." We have to consider the greatest commandment of Old and New Testaments "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," and then "love your neighbor as yourself." These are the reasons we're alive – to be and do these things. All of us. They are the will of God.

Are there things unique to each of us? Ways in which I'm called, or you specifically, are called to do God's will? Yes, and 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 would indicated that this has to do with your unique gifting – the way that God has uniquely outfitted you to do His will as no one else really can. Too little attention is given to this question: "Lord, who am I in your unfolding scheme and what part was I created and recreated in Christ to play?"

Sure, some of us just settle into our part without really asking – we just live into our roles, like slipping into comfortable clothes. Sadly, some never ask and never settle into any role and sort of wallow in a tonsil-like state, never really contributing much more than occasional inflammation. Still others play such quiet roles that no one but God will ever see how important they are. Isn't it interesting how crucial the hidden parts of the body actually are? Then there are the moment by moment opportunities that represent the will of God. These require listening, and attending; sometimes slow pondering and sometimes rapid response.

At the same time I deal (and you) with the "What is God's will for my life" question, the whole church needs to be asking the same questions collectively. What is God's will for our life? Assuming that the church, the body of Christ, can accomplish aspects of the will of God that no one Christian can, then the issue of collective discernment looms large. Who are we supposed to be? What are we supposed to do? Lord, unfold your agenda, reveal your strategies, unite your people and help us to lead people to the Kingdom and bring Kingdom themes to bear on earth.

Of this I'm sure: praying this prayer is a summons into a dynamic partnership with God. How empty to pray for God to bring in His Kingdom without submitting to His will and playing our part. How arrogant to ignore God's will and scramble around the surface of this virtual anthill according to our own agendas with no thought for the Master scheme – rather, the Master's scheme.

So, the Lord's Prayer on prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done

Foster: In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God's thoughts after Him, to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves.