The Three “P”s of the Kingdom

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt 6:10 NIV)

When we ask for God’s kingdom to come, what are we really asking for? Like a mustard seed, the kingdom of God begins small and hidden, but gradually grows into the greatest of all things. Something so enormous as the kingdom of God can be difficult to grasp and define. I like to think of the kingdom of God in terms of three “P’s”: Presence, Purpose, and Power.

Presence: A kingdom cannot be a kingdom without a King. The King is the foundational and central factor in any kingdom. Therefore, it is Jesus who is central in the kingdom of God. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come”, or we “seek first the kingdom”, we should primarily desire the Presence of the King Himself. It is a relationship with Jesus and His presence in our lives and in the midst of the church that should be of utmost concern. The magnificence, grandeur, and glory of the kingdom are most directly related to the Presence of God in the earth, in the midst of His people. Desiring God’s kingdom means longing for Jesus, thirsting for His presence, seeking His face, and desiring a deeply intimate and loving relationship with the King. He is to be desired above all! Can anything compare with Him? “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” His kingdom is “in the Holy Spirit”, in the Presence of God.

Purpose: The word “kingdom” implies a sphere of authority by one who reigns over loyal subjects. In order to reign, a king must reveal his will so that his subjects can know it and obey it. In God’s kingdom, His will is the fulfillment of His Purpose. His Purpose is his mission to bring life and life more abundantly. He has come to seek and to save that which was lost. He has come to destroy the works of the devil. God’s purpose is fulfilled when His will is done. Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments”. Our relationship with Jesus, our love for Him, is built, not in knowing God’s will alone, but in doing God’s will. When we do His will, then we shall know Him more. Our love for Jesus should compel us to seek to do His will. For, in doing His will, we find life and life more abundantly and the works of the devil are destroyed. When you pray, say “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

Power: The kingdom of God is not a theory or a fantasy, but an actual reality. Jesus demonstrated that establishing the kingdom of God has a significant and tangible effect. The work of the Holy Spirit was pervasively manifest in the work of Jesus as a demonstration of how an unseen spiritual power becomes a visible and physical reality. This is the “on earth as it is in heaven” principle. Jesus said, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The unseen power of the Spirit of God was working in a visible Jesus to create a tangible result. The church is the visible body of Christ. We are called to manifest, or make visible, the unseen power of God. This is why Jesus said “greater works than these shall you do” and “it is better for me to go away.” Why would it be good for the great and mighty Jesus to go away? Because His church was to be an extension of His “body”, the earthly vessels that could fill the whole earth for the purpose of tapping into the power from heaven, the power of the Spirit, and establishing God’s kingdom in the earth. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth." Ritualistic religion can be done by natural strength and the proclamation of empty words, but establishing God’s kingdom can only be accomplished by tapping into the reservoir of the power of the Holy Spirit in heaven. This is why “the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”

May His Presence, Purpose, and Power be established on earth as it is in heaven! Amen.