Prayer Template

photo (c) 2011 Tom Wray

Prayer template

Lord Jesus,

Let Your kingdom come

On earth as it is in heaven.

Expand your rule

In ______(person).

Work in him/her

First to will

And then to do

Your good pleasure.

Rule with your peace.

Rule with your provision.

Rule with your protection.

And above all

Let Your kingdom come

in me!

This template for prayer is like the Jesus prayer, in that it has a peculiar form but unlike it in that each time through is different. The Kingdom of Jesus is central to our life in this fallen world. His kingdom is questioned everywhere. Who wants a king anyway. Every man and woman wants to be his or her own personal king. But the key to fellowship with Jesus is being in His kingdom. Jesus’ eternal question is, why do you call me Lord and then do not do what I say? When we pray for our friends and family to enter in to His kingdom we pray for them to have a closer and redeeming  relationship to Him. And , Oh yes, Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies.

He is not a king who extends His kingdom through force. Instead He works in His subjects first to will His will and then to actually do His will. Kings tell people what to do. He tells one to come, another to go. These people come into our life in various ways. The people he directs are not necessarily His subjects like Cyrus in Isaiah 44:28. All this happens according to the free will of each man and woman. He is also working in them first to will and then to do of His good pleasure. And think about this: He also works in His enemies this same way to bring them to repentance and faith.

The rule of a king brings peace to his people. It also brings provision of their needs and protection from their enemies. All these are part of the meaning of the kingdom of Christ and part of our prayer for our friend. And one last word: Don’t forget to pray for your enemies, yes, the same ones we need protection from.

It is not selfish of you to also pray for more of Christ’s rule in your own life every time you pray for anyone else. It is a reminder of that great Pauline confession that he was the worst of all sinners, second only to me.