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Yours Is The Kingdom

by | Sun, Feb 12 2023

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By praying the Lord’s Prayer, we gain a deeper insight into who God is and how He wants us to relate to Him. This prayer transcends our own personal beliefs of what God is like. It teaches us instead about His authentic character that is revealed through the scriptures.

On this episode of Today, Jeff Vines explores the Lord’s Prayer and how it strengthens our connection to God. Maybe you know every word by heart – but have you stopped to consider what an impactful prayer it truly is? Pastor Jeff encourages us to take a closer look at its purpose and power.

Everything Is A Gift From God

‘We know God is in heaven,’ says Jeff, ‘and we don’t have the vantage point He has. We don’t come to God as though we’re entitled. That’s why Jesus says, give us this day our daily bread. We’re assuming that everything we have is a gift from God and that He owes us nothing.’

Without us even seeking God, God sought us and provided a way where we could be part of a kingdom that will last forever. The biggest obstacle in our lives has already been overcome on the cross. When we die, we’re going to be with God in heaven for eternity. That’s an extravagant gift.

‘From the time you’re born until the time you die,’ says Jeff, ‘God owns you. And He owns you for a reason. That reason is that He might bring the kingdom of Heaven down into your life. But the great temptation the Lord’s Prayer is talking about is when things go wrong and you are tempted to believe that God is no longer sovereign. That His kingdom is not coming, and that somehow God owes you an easy life.’

Be A Genuine Christ Follower

The last statement in the Lord’s prayer is: Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the power. Yours is the glory forever and ever. Do you know what Jesus is doing in this prayer? He’s saying if you really want to know who’s a genuine, authentic Christ follower, it comes down to this. Genuine Christ followers live their lives with this attitude.

‘It’s not my kingdom, it’s Yours,’ says Jeff. ‘It’s not my power, it’s Yours. It’s not my glory. It’s Your glory. Do you really believe it? Because it means that not only does your life not belong to you, but nothing you have ultimately belongs to you. It’s just been entrusted to you. Everything you have is a blessing from God.’

God should have priority in our lives. How are we using everything He has given us? So that others may come to salvation? Are we using everything God has given us to build His kingdom? Jesus says, no matter what we’ve been led to believe, if we lay up all our treasures on this earth without concern for the ultimate kingdom, we’ll not only die with little in this world, but in the world to come.

‘The Lord’s Prayer is the only prayer recorded of Jesus praying,’ says Jeff. ‘And He puts the bookends on it by saying, Your Father’s in heaven. He’s over all things. It’s about His glory, His kingdom and His power.’

Listen to Jeff’s full message below, and for more resources visit our Vision Store.