Lord’s Prayer (Week 4) - God’s Kingdom Now

Developed By the St. Matthew’s Islington Discipleship Team Dawn Mercer, Christine Ivy and Rev. Philip Stonhouse

LENT Studies

Week 4: God’s Kingdom Now

For the Kingdom, the Power

And the glory are yours, now and forever AMEN

“I open my ears to hear Your Word, and my heart to yield to Your will.”

Matthew 26: 63-66

63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power

and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

Reflecting on the text:

1) Why was the High Priest so heavy-handed with Jesus? Why did it matter if Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God? (Messiah = anointed one. A son of God = a term often given to devoted kings or even prophets). Why was this a reason to condemn Jesus?

2) In vs. 64, Jesus quotes Daniel 7:13, a prophecy about the overturning of worldly authorities and orders. Why was this significant in that moment?

3) Why did the High Priest and the people respond so strongly against Jesus quoting Scripture? What is blasphemous to them? Why does it deserve death? Recall other situations in which this happened to Jesus (Ex. Luke 4:14-30). What are some examples of time when you have seen people respond strongly against God’s word or actions?

4) Jesus quotes this Daniel passage about His power, authority, and conquest before Jesus was put on trial and before He was crucified, yet He says, “from now on”. This means that everything from then on is a vision and realization of God’s power, authority, and conquest. How do we see God’s ultimate power, kingship, and conquest in His trial, crucifixion as well as His resurrection and ascension?

Digging Deeper choose 1 or 2 that you would like to discuss 

1)   When we say that the kingdom, power, and glory are God’s forever and ever, we are making a giant claim about the world, ourselves and God. In some ways we are relinquishing our kingship and power and recognizing that it is God’s alone? Why is this scary/hard but important? Why would people want to resist this? Why do you? Why is this actually our greatest hope?

2)   What is glory? Why does God deserve all the glory? What would it mean to glorify Him in everything: in all that we say, do, see, think, feel, etc.?

3)   In the olden days, a king’s people, messengers, etc. could move out into the world laying claim of places for the king or kingdom; they would also be seen as His representative’s in creating alliances, etc. What are ways that something, a place, or people are made into God’s Kingdom? What are the characteristics of the people, the resources, the space? How can we become more like this?

4)   “Now and forever” is a statement of eternity. God’s power, will, and love is already here and will last for eternity. What does this tell us about how we can live, hope, and trust? What does it mean that this is true about our Father?

End by Praying together:

Prayer Prompts: – Pause to think about:

How God created all things and is shaping all things for good; God wants to do the same thing with every aspect of our lives.

Think about something that you have trouble giving up to God and finish this sentence: God yours is the/my . . .    (Ex. Work life, my marriage, my parenting, my future)

Share this together aloud if you are comfortable doing so.

Amen translates to mean, “it is true”, “certainly” or “let it be so”. How we end our prayers is always a statement of confidence and faith in a loving and faithful God.

During the week:

Daily Payer Prompts: Pray each day this week “Help me see your kingdom, power and glory and give me courage to give you . . . in my life”

Remember there are not magical ways for us to get what we want from God. Jesus tells us to remember the love of our Father in heaven as we pray. Remember His love, and the immediate access we have to God through Jesus. Pray simply. God is not looking for theological discussion. He looks at us with a loving smile of a proud father.

If you wish to pray in tangible ways, you could give God glory by singing a song, writing your own faith story, telling someone how you have seen God work in your life, doing something kind and give God the honour, telling someone how you see God around you, or you could give God kingship and dominion over you by giving up some kind of stress to His love and care. You could also practice Godly authority/power by self-sacrificial guidance, forgiveness, support, fasting, giving etc.

Prayer Exercises:

There are additional approaches to prayer on You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60qgCKg2i3gE6N9PLoLDDVSsfCTE2X 7o