Your Kingdom Come, O Lord
Opening Prayer
Lord, make me aware of the freedom and prosperity we have as being a gift from God.
Read PSALM 122
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28).
Jerusalem in David’s day was a proud and powerful city. The king lived there; the temple was there. King David does not take this for granted, however; he knows that its safety, prosperity and peace are established and sustained by God. His prayers for Jerusalem can teach us how to pray kingdom prayers today.
Verses 1 and 2: give thanks for what freedom we have to worship God. Give thanks for the faith that draws us together. Rejoice with the people of God today!
Verse 3: pray for kingdom strength and power for the people of God (Eph. 3:14–21). Verse 4: pray that we may maintain our unity in Christ, remembering that we have been made into one people from every tribe and nation (Rev. 7:9,10). Pray that the church may, with unity of purpose and
heart, serve Christ alone, praising and honoring him. Verse 5: pray for the purity of the church, that we will submit to the lordship of Jesus. Pray for the church in your country and its relationship with the government and society. Pray that the church submits first to the Word of God, and after that to secular law; God is judge of the whole earth, and we put our trust in him.
Verses 6–8: pray that the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts (Col. 3:15). Pray that you and your local church will effectively share the good news of peace through Jesus Christ to bring people into his kingdom. Verse 8 is particularly heartfelt: bring to God in prayer your family and friends who do not know Jesus as Savior. Pray they can enter into the blessed peace of God’s kingdom. Verse 9: pray that God’s kingdom will break into your neighborhood and that his will may be done there (Matt. 6:10). Pray that God’s people will seek his kingdom first as the measure of true, eternal prosperity. Pray that we, by the Spirit’s power, will help transform the welfare—both spiritual and material—of lost people around us.
Apply
Psalm 122 opens with an expression of joy when it was time to have services in the temple. How joyful are you when it is time to get ready for church?
Closing prayer
Lord, we recognize Your affection for Jerusalem. Remind us to pray for its peace and safety.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.