Our Lord and King made this statement in response to His disciples' question concerning prayer: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." NKJV
That is the prayer coming from the King; a prayer which I call the Kingdom prayer. It covers all bases concerning the earth and heaven.
I recall my Lord and King making this statement when the religious leaders of that day tried to trick Him concerning marriage and the resurrection. Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” In these passages of the Lord God's Constitution, He makes it plain in His response to those religious leaders. Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven." Notice He said "like" angels, not become angels. Now, concerning wearing crosses and crucifixes, remember that Jesus the Christ is not dead and we do not memorialize His death. He is alive! “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.” He is the God of the living, not the dead. Religious people pray for their dead, not Kingdom citizens.
Those who pray for the dead or for the non-believers in this world, are wasting their breath and time. Read what the Lord Jesus told His disciples when He was praying for them. “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory." You are to glorify the King with your lifestyle and behavior.
Another point that I want to drive home is that He never prayed for the dead. In fact, Jesus made this statement to people who had excuses to not follow Him:
He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” In essence, the Lord Jesus was saying that those who have not embraced the King or His message is without Christ. That makes him dead in his disobedience (sin) and dead to the Lord God.
The Lord Jesus always stayed in consistent prayer and communication with His Father God. Most of the time it was early in the morning. Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Prayer and communication with the Lord Jesus must be a key component to every Kingdom citizen's lifestyle. Staying in communication will give you guidance in the Holy Spirit. You will become sensitive to the Governor's (Holy Spirit) leading and guidance.
My wife Arlene and I won't go a day without acknowledging the King. He is our Source. Remember, whenever you want to get to the Father, you must go through the Lord Jesus the Christ. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Put all your trust in Him. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." He is the One who is preparing a home for us in His Kingdom. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Remember, your greatest asset in the Kingdom is your faith in His Word.
Matthew 6:5-13 Mark 12:18-27 John 17:9-10 Luke 9:59-62
Mark 1:35 John 14:6, 1-4 all NLT except where noted
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." NKJV
That is the prayer coming from the King; a prayer which I call the Kingdom prayer. It covers all bases concerning the earth and heaven.
I recall my Lord and King making this statement when the religious leaders of that day tried to trick Him concerning marriage and the resurrection. Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” In these passages of the Lord God's Constitution, He makes it plain in His response to those religious leaders. Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven." Notice He said "like" angels, not become angels. Now, concerning wearing crosses and crucifixes, remember that Jesus the Christ is not dead and we do not memorialize His death. He is alive! “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.” He is the God of the living, not the dead. Religious people pray for their dead, not Kingdom citizens.
Those who pray for the dead or for the non-believers in this world, are wasting their breath and time. Read what the Lord Jesus told His disciples when He was praying for them. “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory." You are to glorify the King with your lifestyle and behavior.
Another point that I want to drive home is that He never prayed for the dead. In fact, Jesus made this statement to people who had excuses to not follow Him:
He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” In essence, the Lord Jesus was saying that those who have not embraced the King or His message is without Christ. That makes him dead in his disobedience (sin) and dead to the Lord God.
The Lord Jesus always stayed in consistent prayer and communication with His Father God. Most of the time it was early in the morning. Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Prayer and communication with the Lord Jesus must be a key component to every Kingdom citizen's lifestyle. Staying in communication will give you guidance in the Holy Spirit. You will become sensitive to the Governor's (Holy Spirit) leading and guidance.
My wife Arlene and I won't go a day without acknowledging the King. He is our Source. Remember, whenever you want to get to the Father, you must go through the Lord Jesus the Christ. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Put all your trust in Him. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." He is the One who is preparing a home for us in His Kingdom. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Remember, your greatest asset in the Kingdom is your faith in His Word.
Matthew 6:5-13 Mark 12:18-27 John 17:9-10 Luke 9:59-62
Mark 1:35 John 14:6, 1-4 all NLT except where noted
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
