We know that the coming of the Kingdom is literal as well as spiritual. For one day Jesus will return to set up His Kingdom here on planet Earth. However, this prayer has a dual connotation. It also implicates the coming of the Holy Ghost in the lives of men. Jesus said,
St. Matthew 12:28
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
The Spirit of God is also the Kingdom of God. This can also be verified in the following passage.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, it is expedient for us to pray that the Kingdom of God comes into the lives of others, even as it has come unto us. This is the cry of the sons of God for salvation to come unto their loved ones, friends and fellow kinsmen of the human race. It is the prayer of intercession. This is also a prayer as in all types of prayer that must be prayed from the position of the Spirit. In it we have to be sure of who we are and the promises that have been made unto us. Jesus (in the scripture below) gives us the mind of the Father concerning our intercession for the causes of others.
St. Luke 11:5-6
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
The friend is a loved one, a co-worker, a stranger, even an enemy. Nevertheless, he is a soul needing salvation. He is a kinsman (of the human race) who seeks out a son of God for the source of eternal life.
St. Luke 11:7-8
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Because you are the friend of the householder, and you are insistent in your petition, he will render unto you the request.
St. Luke 11: 9-10
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Ask, Seek and Knock has become a doctrine of material things. But that is not the intent of the Father here. The need of the traveler was for bread; the Bread of Life, the Word of God and the Spirit of Truth. To continue his travels through this world he does not need his friend to petition the householder for material substance. Nor will the friend petition for anything that will be of detriment to the wayfarer.
St. Luke 11:11-13
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
It is the desire of the Father to give us the Holy Ghost to distribute to those who desire to come into the Kingdom of God. Some will come into the Kingdom by the laying on of hands. Others will come by the intercessory prayers we offer up. Regardless, it is the responsibility of the sons of God to reach the Father on behalf of those who are lost and out of the way.
The following scriptures inform us of the fact that a price is to be paid on our part in order to become an intercessor.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The sons of God are the only ones on this planet who are in position to become living sacrifices for their fellowman. You see, the sacrifice must be holy and acceptable unto God. There is only one way this can be accomplished.
Romans 8:8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Those sons who walk in the flesh cannot please the Lord; therefore, their sacrifice is defiled and not accepted. Thus, their prayers go unanswered and circumstances they may have prayed about only change due to the prayers of others or the sovereignty of God. Nevertheless, the disposition is the same. The son who walks in the flesh has no audience with God except he comes to repentance and the acknowledging of his sin.
2 Corinthians 4:11
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
If we are to bring deliverance into the lives of others, we must deny ourselves on a daily basis. For we who walk in the Spirit have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24).
The life of Christ must be made known through us. God’s influence in our hearts must be manifested in our daily lives if we are to win the souls of the lost. Our lives do not belong to us. We are dead to this world. We have been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus. Our life is hid in Him. It is His life that must be manifested now. We are His brethren who are appointed to suffer for His sake.
2 Corinthians 4:12-13
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Because we walk in the same spirit of faith we are able to accomplish the same things. Because we believe in the promise of the Father to answer our petitions, we are able to speak into existence, those things that are according to the will of God.
2 Corinthians 4:14-15
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
We understand that all things are done to glorify the Father through the power of His Christ. CHRIST IS NOW WORKING THROUGH US. Nevertheless, it is impossible to operate in this awesome power without entering into pride and vanity, unless we maintain a walk in the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 4:16
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
To remain in the Spirit will cause us not to faint and even allow the Father to continue to work through us unlike the time He stopped working through the disciples when they were unable to cast the demon out of the young boy. Pride and arrogance had beguiled them. We must allow our hearts to remain pure and to be established in the fellowship of His suffering. Intercession is not without a price. Our very life must be offered to God holy and without the stain of sin or worldliness. Purge yourself of the lust and wantonness. Come before the Lord having repented of these and ask for His forgiveness. For, if we acknowledge our sins, He is just to forgive us. Turn from the mindsets that war against the truth. Come to the Father and ask Him to help in establishing your heart in the truth. I am sure that there are many individuals you desire to pray for. If you have obeyed the truth set before you in this lesson, then . . . IT’S TIME TO PRAY! God bless you, Apostle Mary Banks & Apostle Michael Thomas
A Note from Amy . . . Next to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, prayer is the most powerful ministry that a son of God utilizes. In prayer lies not only the ability to commune intimately with our Father but also to petition Him on behalf of others. A fervent prayer life emboldens us with the necessary vision and weapons needed to enter into spiritual warfare. Without prayer we are just like the contractor without a blueprint. We do not know what we are building (or tearing down for that matter), or even the materials needed. We read in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark where Jesus was strengthened by ministering angels after He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. When Jesus prayed for His Father’s will to be done in His life and not His own He was once again strengthened (St. Luke 22:43).
God also informed Paul in
2 Corinthians 12:9 that His strength is made perfect through Paul’s weakness. Individually, even we experience God’s strength when we overcome in the midst of our personal temptations. One thing is certain and that is that no matter what the circumstance, situation or relationship, God always demands to be glorified. He desires praise and obedience in everything. If we desire Him to be present with us we must praise Him, for He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
Romans 5:6
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. When we were powerless to help ourselves, Christ died for us.
St. John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
His death was the first step in reconciling us back to the Father and giving us the power to become His sons. The life we now live in Christ has made us overcomers. The excellency of the power and strength that resides in us when we receive salvation is of God. It is truly a treasure in an earthen vessel.
