For each day of Thy Kingdom Come there are some reflection points on a small section of the Lord’s Prayer. Read the reflection points, take a moment to be still and focus on the presence of God. Think about what you might pray for that relates to what you have read and spend some time in prayer. There may only be one thing or many, your prayer could be words or silence.

With thanks to John Kirkby for the reflection points, and to Rachael Craig for the artwork.

Thursday 21 May

Our Father in heaven

• We pray “our” Father to remind us that we are not alone in our prayers. “Thy kingdom come” is for all of us to pray together.
• We call God our “Father” because we have a unique relationship with him.
• We can reflect on Paul’s words “Because you are sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit calls out “Abba Father” so you are no longer a slave but a son, and since you are a son, God has made you an heir” (Galatians 4:6, 7)

Friday 22 May

Hallowed be your name

• In the Old Testament God’s name is honoured by the people
• Alongside calling God “Our Father” we also need to reverence him. Holiness is an integral part of God’s character.
• In the last book of the Bible there is a great vision of heaven, with the four living creatures worshipping at the throne of God and saying “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4.8).

Saturday 23 May

Your kingdom come

• Jesus announced at the beginning of his ministry “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1.15).
• Jesus taught us in some of his parables “the kingdom of God is like ….”. Matthew 13 records the parables of the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, the yeast and others. They are a reminder to us of how God is at work in extending his kingdom and the part we are to play.
• We should be praying that God’s kingdom will be recognised by all and that all of us will be subject to his sovereignty.

Sunday 24 May

Your will be done

• “Doing the will of God” is part of our following of Jesus. This can be difficult at times, especially when we lose a loved one, or go through a crisis in our lives including the present difficulties with Covid-19.
• Jesus submitted himself to the will of the Father. In the agony of the garden of Gethsemane he prayed “My Father if it is possible may this cup pass from me, yet not as I will but as you will” (Matthew 26.39).

Monday 25 May

On earth as in heaven

• This is a prayer that “heaven” may be here on earth. We live with the tension of the “already – not yet” of God’s kingdom here on earth
• The old chorus still rings true
  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus
  look full in his wonderful face
  and the things of the earth
  will grow strangely dim
  in the light of his glory and grace”
• A prayer “Lord, bring in your kingdom here on earth, beginning with me”

Tuesday 26 May

Give us today our daily bread

• We depend upon God for our daily needs.
• “Bread” in the Bible is very symbolic, in Exodus 16 the Israelites were given daily “manna” for food; in John 6, Jesus is “the bread of life”, and whoever feeds on him will never grow hungry.
• In 1st Century Galilee and in many parts of the world today, you are paid for your labour (if you have any) and you use this money to buy your daily food. Are we seeing that the world is receiving its daily bread?

Wednesday 27 May

Forgive us our sins

• Before we pray this petition we need to realise that we need to pray it. (c.f. 23 May, Mark 1.15)
• This prayer is about sin against God and is an important moment for us to examine our relationship with God.
• It’s also an acknowledgement that our Father is ready to hear and forgive.

Thursday 28 May

As we forgive those who sin against us

• In the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18.23-35) the servant who had been forgiven his huge debts refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small debt. The unmerciful servant was jailed by his master.
• We appreciate God’s forgiveness when we forgive others.
• It’s hypocritical not to forgive.

Friday 29 May

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

• “Temptation” can also mean “testing” and “time of trial”, both meanings have their place here.
• We pray that we will not put ourselves into the place of temptation and we will have strength from God for times of testing and trial
• “Evil” can be “the evil one”, our adversary. We pray that we will be kept safe and be rescued in the end.

Saturday 30 May

For the kingdom, power and glory are yours now and forever Amen

• This concluding doxology is not in the oldest texts of Matthew 6. Did Jesus leave this prayer without a conclusion so that people could conclude the prayer in their own way?
• This doxology is very much based on David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29.11-13.
• What would your words of praise and glory to God be at this conclusion as you pray “Thy Kingdom Come”?