Today is an important day.
Not only is it National Cheese Lover's Day 🧀 but our new president just declared it a National Day of Unity. What do you wanna bet that there were a whole bunch more Americans eating cheese than practicing unity, today?
While I agree that National Unity is a noble goal to which every American should aspire, I'm afraid only a miracle could make it happen this side of heaven.
Though I will never stop praying for peace and unity, my focus is on God's side of heaven.
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Have y'all noticed all the postings of The Lord's Prayer on FB recently? Don't know about you, but I find it to be a nice reprieve from political memes and casserole recipes. [I AM NOT dissing your recipes... but if I put on any more weight, my full armor of God ain't gonna fit over my hips. 😲]
No doubt some of y'all are posting The Lord's Prayer as an act of defiance against the suppressive turds running FB (I'm looking at you, Zuckerburg). But it really is the perfect prayer for times such as these.
In the past, I have been guilty of saying this prayer by rote, mindlessly repeating it instead of offering each word to God from a humble heart. But now I have come to a fuller understanding of The Lord's Prayer, how it calls down the promise heaven and yes... eternal UNITY.
In Matthew 6, one of the Apostles asked, “Teach us how to pray like you, Rabbi.” In response, Jesus offered this beautiful prayer which has remained sufficient to all Believers throughout the ages. Particularly powerful are these three petitions:
■Hallowed be Your name
■Your kingdom come
■Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
When we ask these specific things of God, we are literally asking Him to move heaven and earth. We're petitioning for citizenship in heaven. Let's break it down.
■ HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME ■
Hallowed means “to make holy” and interestingly enough, is used as a verb in this verse. As an imperative statement, the translation becomes: “Father in Heaven, MAKE your name Holy!” In the Old Testament, Ezekiel tells us that when THE KINGDOM COMES, God's name will be vindicated and HALLOWED. God will ultimately be proven holy when His people are redeemed.
■ THY KINGDOM COME ■
Are y'all looking as forward to heaven as I am? Man, I can't wait! It'll be Cheese Lover's Day there EVERY day and I just know there will be buckets of M&M's and rivers of Blue Bell ice cream. Heaven is coming. Soon, all the fraudulent kingdoms of this world will be vanquished and there will be a New Kingdom. How do we get to be a part of that Kingdom? By spiritual rebirth (John 3:5). And there is nothing that pisses satan off more. He and his stinkin' demons continually test us and try us and divide us in an attempt to take our focus off Heaven... the place of true UNITY. In God’s kingdom “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and IN ALL.” (Colossians 3:11.)
■ THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN ■
Another request for the Kingdom... do you see it? When Jesus returns and establishes His Kingdom here, His desire will be done on Earth AND in Heaven. Every time you speak these words, you are aligning your heart with the heart of God.
So you see, this isn't just any ol' prayer. When Jesus taught The Lord's Prayer, He was directing his disciples – and us – toward Heaven... to the final manifestation of God's Kingdom.
That's the unity we all should be praying for. 💙
