Matthew 6:9b-10 … hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
After addressing God properly, and reminding ourselves of who and what He is, the next thing we should do in prayer is give God the praise and worship He is due. Praise is something that is sadly lacking in many of our prayers. We simply do not take the time to tell God how great He is. God is the infinite, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, gracious, merciful, loving creator of the universe. He deserves our worship!
Praising God is not just for His benefit. It is good for us to take the time to worship Him so that we can remind ourselves just how wonderful He is. If we do this at the beginning of our prayer it sets the tone for the rest of the prayer. Stating the magnificence of God at the outset helps us remain humble during the prayer. It gives us proper perspective.
Praise also prepares us for the next portion of the prayer, asking God to advance His kingdom on the earth. For the most part, God advances His kingdom in and through his people. When we ask God for His kingdom to come we are asking Him to empower us to do spiritual warfare to conquer enemy territory in God’s name.
In most cases, God’s kingdom moves ahead in a type of spiritual trench warfare. People are usually brought into the kingdom on an individual basis. Strongholds are broken one at a time. By praying for God’s kingdom to come we are asking God for marching orders. Reminding ourselves of just how powerful and unstoppable God is helps us do so boldly and confidently.
When we ask God to make His will done on earth as in heaven we are asking for the strength to live holy and pure lives so we can obey God perfectly, just like He is obeyed in heaven. This requires great faith on our part because without faith, no one can please God (Hebrews 11:6). Again, worshiping God prior to asking for such strength, humility, and faith helps us to have the right mind-set.
Heavenly Father, You are wonderful. Your name is great , Your ways are perfect, and Your plans are unstoppable. Cause Your kingdom to grow on earth in me and through me. Allow me the privilege to storm the gates of hell and watch them buckle before Your might. Cause me to be perfectly obedient to Your will and plans.