Praying in Jesus’ Name – Affection
February 23, 2023
The Thrones Poster
March 7, 2023
As we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we should always add, quickly, “My kingdom go.” If you will add this practice when you recite the Lord’s Prayer, it will start to transform it from routinely rote to a deeply personal … “Our Prayer.”
And why should we add this? Because there cannot be two kings in a kingdom. We know this intuitively, and Jesus was very specific about this:
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and money.” Matt. 6:24
But if you are at all like me, you resist this. We say, “But I can have two kings – God and Me. I certainly won’t hate God – I won’t put him in second place.** I can balance both.” No you cannot, and yes, you will, because the throne of Me is a powerful force.
When we live in the Kingdom of Me, perched atop our silly little thrones, strutting around ridiculously, the best we can hope for is a C-minus life. Often, it’s closer to a D, and many times it’s a flat-out F. The F life is obvious, and therefore may finally compel us to get off the Throne of Me and surrender to the true King. This is a wonderful result, to say the least.
The D life is a miserable life, but apparently not miserable enough to move some people to take action… to seek change… to get off the throne. To say, “Your kingdom come, my kingdom go!”
But it’s the C-minus life that is the most dangerous, because we are lulled into a “just mowing-the-lawn” approach to life. We get through each day, keeping the grass cut and the lawns of our lives nice for everyone to see, but the roots are shallow, and subject to any kind of “bad weather.”
The C- life is the most insidious, and thus to be feared the most.
But Jesus comes along and offers an invitation to a richer life, the A-plus life in the Kingdom of Him, not Me. This life is a refreshing, cleansing, freeing life of trust. Jesus offers a life of clarity, energy, and creativity that flows naturally from and through His Kingdom, powered by the Holy Spirit. But only if you want it. He won’t force it on you.
Sometimes I wish he would, don’t you? “Jesus, just bind and gag me and force me into surrendering my throne. My kingdom has too much sway over me. I’ve been atop this throne for too long. Make me give it up, please!”
At various times in our journey we hear Jesus’ invitation to come deeper. Each such time we will find ourselves at a gate, a cross-roads, and the question becomes, “Will I stay atop my throne and continue to try to control things, and people, my will, my way, or will I surrender and follow Jesus and his will, his way?”
Stay atop your throne: Ugh
Surrender your throne: Love, joy, peace, patience
It is your choice.
Stay atop your throne: Ugh
Surrender your throne: Love, joy, peace, patience
It is your choice.
“Your kingdom come, Jesus, my kingdom has got to go!”
** Both the Hebrew and Greek word for “hate” does not mean hate as we use it. It
means to “Love less” and “To put in second place.”
