The Lord’s Prayer WEEK FOUR 31ST JAN - 6TH FEB

Overall Theme: A framework of prayer to ensure we embrace all God offers us in His friendship and His kingship

Weeks Theme: Your Kingdom Come – Joining God’s battle already won on the cross

Welcome

• SO FAR Having approached a powerful loving Father God in prayer with the purpose of honouring His name we begin to focus on how we might do this in prayer.
• How might it feel to be part of a victorious army, fighting a war?

Worship

• The Battle belongs to and is won by the Lord but we are all in the battle. Read Psalm 140
  

Word “Your Kingdom Come”

• THE KING – The Kingdom and Focus for all our prayer is the King Jesus
• Read Revelation 11 :15-17
• “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever. 16And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying: We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.”
• There is a transfer of power (v.15) What and to whom is the transfer between?
• How would you define a king? What does this passage teach us about Jesus’ reign and power?
• YOUR KINGDOM – There is a Kingdom battle won on the cross that is claimed in prayer
  
• Read Colossians 2:15
  
  “15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
  
  What does this verse tell us about the battle for the Kingdom and the power of the cross?”
• Read Ephesians 6:12 & 18-20
  
  “12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms... 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
  
  What does this passage tell us about prayer and God’s Kingdom, compared to the world’s method of gaining power?
  What does Paul believe the effect of prayer in his ministry will be by his requests?
  Do we believe this in our ministry?
  
  YOUR KINGDOM COME – Our prayers must reflect the truth that God’s Kingdom comes differently than the world!
• Read Mathew 25 :34-36
  
  “34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”
  
  This, and most of the Kingdom passages are linked to judgment. What does this tell us about the importance of the kingdom?
  This passage gives us practical ways God’s kingdom coming. How might this affect our prayers?
  

Witness

• Who do you know in your life that needs God’s Kingdom to come in their life?
  

Prayer

• If the battle is won on the cross, pray with faith that an specific area of God’s kingdom will come this week.
  Pray that God would give you His heart and urgency for His kingdom to come in your situation
  

Reflection

• In praying for the Kingdom to come we must start and end with the KING, then we must understand his upside down Kingdom and finally pray that His kingdom, NOT mine, will come.