So you and I are the skin around God now. We are the kingdom. When Jesus said that the kingdom had come, He was referring to Himself. He had arrived. When He told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come,” He was referring to us. We are the kingdom come. We are the doers of the will of God we are praying for. The Lord’s Prayer isn’t magic. It is really a prayer for us to realize our identity and our calling. We are the skin God is in now.
So far this is at least understandable. We can grasp at it. It’s challenging, far-fetched, humbling, and audacious, but we get it; we just don’t know how to do it. We are praying for something to be done in and through us that we are not sure how to do.
Here’s where this often goes off track. People may correctly realize this but then go out under their own strength and try and be the best version of God they can possibly think of. That can’t be it. There was a name for that when Jesus was here. It’s called: Pharisee.
No… you and I are the skin around God, but the God part is really God. This is the real God in us: not us acting out our idea of Him. And God in us is a risky, scary, audacious, unpredictable proposition. This is precisely why Paul says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).
When you pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” you are really praying for God to be God in your life. You don’t know any more about God’s heavenly will than I do, so this is not something necessarily manageable by us. This is asking someone to manage us, and putting ourselves in a place and an attitude where we can be managed.
And finally, it is not us doing nothing, either. That’s the other way this goes off track. We assume that if God is fulfilling His purpose in our lives then we don’t have to do anything, so we become religious slackers. That’s not it either, because Paul started this with “Work out your own salvation…” In other words: Manage your life with the realization that God is managing you. You still have to do it; you are just not alone. You are acting, but you are finding out what God is doing in your life at the same time and it is not always what you think.
Confused? Maybe a little. Predictable? Definitely not. Mysterious? Always. Adventurous? Man, you bet it is!
John Fischer The Catch 
You bet! Great words. Imagine if everyone lived this way. 🙂
Good new year reminder. “For the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Ro 14:17). So, “if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Ga 5:25). That’s how the kingdom comes; that’s how God’s will is done. The Spirit of Christ in us.
John, you always get us in the right place. Thanks so much for your insightful information. And I’m loving the adventure!!
“We are the skin God is in now.” These words, as well as the rest of the message, really gave me a new perspective on things. You are right – I often go out there and try to be the best person I can be – but without letting the Spirit in me, manage me. Thank you John – and the rest of the Catch family – for being a light that helps me find my way.
You have said well some things I’ve been thinking about the last few days. Thank you so much for such a timely word.
good words to focus on as I begin my day…thanks.
Yes, it is an adventure, to say the least…and sometimes (many times) if I do wonder about God’s will, it places me in inactive status. So, right or wrong, I go where I think He may be leading. I figure He’ll let me know by opening doors or closing them. But at least I’m not doin’ nothin! 🙂
PRETTY GOOD M.O.
A number of years ago, the wife of our pastor at the time gave our Sunday School class an insight into The Lord’s Prayer that has stuck with me and really caused me to re-evaluate. Sarah said she always prayed, “…Thy will be done IN ME…”.
I think that goes along with a couple of the things you said in this Catch:
“When He told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come,” He was referring to us. We are the kingdom come. We are the doers of the will of God we are praying for.”, and
“When you pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” you are really praying for God to be God in your life. You don’t know any more about God’s heavenly will than I do, so this is not something necessarily manageable by us. This is asking someone to manage us, and putting ourselves in a place and an attitude where we can be managed.”
Thanks for shedding more light on this concept!