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Day 5 It’s A Mess
Iraq. Congo. Climate change.
Typhoons. HIV/AIDS. Poverty.
Where is the good news in the
midst of all this suffering?
There is an ancient prayer from the first
century. One of the phrases is: ‘Your
kingdom come, your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.’
Fascinating. It completely turns on its
head a common understanding: when
things go wrong people blame God.
When suffering occurs people often
think it is God’s will. But this prayer
kicks it into touch. It says God’s will is
often NOT being done here! It’s a mess
and God is not happy with it. Bad stuff
happens – really bad stuff.
The prayer was taught by Jesus. It
became known as the Lord’s Prayer
(see opposite). He included this phrase
to encourage us to ask for something
better on earth; something from heaven,
which would make earth a better place.
We can ask that the mess here would
change; that God’s will would be done.
This kind of praying puts us into a
conflict. Jesus mentions circumstances
and influences that test us and are evil.
He says there is an ‘evil one’. Instead of
laying the blame for bad stuff at God’s
door we should put blame where it really
belongs. Mankind has also messed
things up and there are some pretty
abominable things that happen. Our
prayer is part of the process of getting
God’s will to be done.
“Your kingdom come!”
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Try praying this:
God, I ask that your will would be
done in my part of the world today.
Help me to do your will. I also want
to thank you that your will is good.
From now on I don’t want to blame
you for bad stuff that happens, but
to trust you instead. Amen
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Keep on praying for:
- Your Big Issue –that thing you really
want God to make a difference to.
- Others –your friend or family member
who needs help.
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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 9
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something you could do today
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Join the fight: Every time you hear or see something
bad say, “Your kingdom come, your will be done here.”
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