“For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).
Most of us studying prophecy know that the Rapture of the Church is on the near horizon. By studying the Scriptures we can clearly find documentation focusing on that awesome event. The only part of the information concerning the Rapture of Christ’s Church that will remain elusive is when the Rapture will occur. But as the psalmist says, God will fill a longing and hungry soul.
Sometimes I wonder, out of all those who believe Jesus will come and remove His Church from this planet, how many actually long for it and pray that it will happen, and that it will be soon.
“When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11:2).
There’s a reason Jesus gave His disciples this prayer. It’s referred to by most as the Lord’s Prayer, but it should be called the Disciple’s Prayer. Jesus gave us that prayer to invoke God’s will. Each time we pray we should seek His will. What so many refuse to believe is that it’s His will that His kingdom be set up here on earth. When Jesus finally sets up His earthly kingdom after the battle of Armageddon, His will be done on earth, just as it is in heaven.
In heaven, God’s will is followed by all His angels; obviously, on earth His will is despised by most of her inhabitants. Some Christian Churches believe we are currently living through our Lord Jesus’ earthly millennial kingdom because Jesus our Messiah reigns in our hearts. To them His earthly reign is only symbolic.
Well that just doesn’t jive with His Word.
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him (Jesus our Messiah) a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
This is an actual event which will not only establish our Messiah as our ultimate perfect King, but we, His saints (the raptured Church), will be reigning with Him. Those who long for His appearing will receive a special reward.
We have set up prayer lists which we pray over, and there are prayer warriors who are dedicated to praying continually (something we all should be doing), and of course there are many praying for Jesus’ soon return. All sincere prayer is important and God hears the voices of His children as we lift up our prayers and supplications to Him. But one specific prayer Jesus gave us to pray is more often than not simply ignored.
I’m not sure just how many prayer warriors pray the Lord’s Prayer daily, but I know we should all be doing so. If we truly want our Messiah to return soon then let’s begin praying like we believe it, “Thy Kingdom Come Thy Will Be Done.”
When God’s children speak with Him and even cry out to Him letting Him know how troubled our hearts are as we anticipate the coming deluge of persecution, He hears our pleas and knows our troubles and He will intercede on our behalf. One of these days as we are praying “Thy Kingdom Come” sure as God made little green apples we will hear the trump call of God and the voice of the archangel and then we shall see Jesus as He takes us up to meet Him in the air.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
On the other hand, if we aren’t interested in Jesus Christ coming back quickly perhaps He won’t. I’m sure there are many professing Christians who are so enthralled with the world that they live by worldly pursuits without even a thought to Christ’s return.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Revelation 1:1).
We are currently witnessing the beginning of this rapid succession (must shortly come to pass) of signs. Even more exciting is the anticipation of what we know is approaching. We should be praying “Thy Kingdom come – Thy will be done” that all these signs to brought to their crescendo.
Nothing is in the Bible by chance, and certainly the Lord’s Prayer is no exception. There is a reason Jesus told His disciples to pray that particular prayer. Did Jesus give us that prayer to mouth over and over to the point that we know it by heart and we speak it without thinking? Have we allowed the Lord’s Prayer to become nothing more than a child’s redundant bedtime prayer? If so, we need to resurrect that awesome prayer from the depths of mediocrity.
Asking God to come back to set up His earthly Kingdom is not only prudent, but it is His will. After all, we’re assured that Jesus will remove His Church prior to what the Bible describes as the “Day of the Lord”, the Great Tribulation. Jesus tells us that that 3½ year period will be the most horrible time in the history of mankind.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
. This is not an allegory nor has this horrific period already passed. This, one of the final events in the history of mankind, is still a future event which, thankfully, His Church will be excluded from. Hopefully many more will join us before it’s too late.
In many a Christian’s mind, as well as in the majority of Christian churches today, apathy reigns supreme. Arrogance comes in at a close second. Both of these defeatist mind-sets play a pivotal role in the lives of those who reject the inerrancy, as well as the literal translation, of the Bible.
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
It’s a shame but many Christians will receive no comfort from the words of Paul concerning the Rapture of the Church, especially since they love not His appearing. “Thy Kingdom come – Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” is foreign to them. They are actually earth dwellers and perfectly happy to remain here.
The Lord gave us that prayer so we could be an active participant of His Kingdom by requesting He establish it post-haste. The attitude of asking for His soon return means we seek His soon appearing:
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
If you love (long for) His appearing your crown of righteousness awaits you.
The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer that puts God’s interests first; it is His name, His Kingdom, and His will that are primary here. It should be our pleasure, as well as responsibility, to let God know just how much we’d like to see His will done.
We must pray with a longing and we must believe what we are praying for, that God’s Kingdom is soon to be established here on earth; we want to see our King Jesus sitting on His earthly throne ruling and reigning on this planet, and we want it to begin right now.
“Our Father.” When we pray thusly we are praying in unison as His children. Calling God our Father shows we have a privileged relationship with the Creator of the universe. “Our” shows prayer belongs among His children. We find the Lord’s Prayer recorded in Matthew 6 then repeated in Luke 11, which should tell us Jesus considered it important.
Jesus’ disciples watched Jesus pray and they wanted to pray like Him. They wanted to speak with God the Father just as God’s only begotten Son spoke with Him. The way we speak to God shows a lot about how we feel about God. Jesus’ attitude as well as His demeanor as He prayed showed His full reverence for His Father.
We who actually place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone for salvation are only sojourners on earth, and as such it should be our full and complete desire to be united with Him where He is, our future real home
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).
Even the apostle Paul desired to go home, to put on his new heavenly body. Nevertheless, Paul went about doing his Lord’s will until the end
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better…” (Philippians 1:21-24a).
It makes good sense to pray as a body devoted to the Lord that the last day would arrive and His Kingdom would be established. When the Lord Jesus returns and places His feet on solid ground we will be with Him in our new Heavenly tabernacles. Let’s all pray that that day is nigh upon us. Oh come quickly, Lord Jesus.
God bless you all,
Ron Graham