Last Sunday, we began our review of the Lord’s Prayer. In His Model Prayer, Jesus gives us ten important spiritual lessons. We covered four of them last week in the beginning lines of the prayer: 9b “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” Matthew 6:9 (KJV) Now, let’s move on to the next parts of the Lord’s Prayer.
In Matthew 6:10, Jesus prays, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” (KJV) The phrase “Thy Kingdom come” provides the fifth lesson we gain from the Lord’s Prayer. It is a two-part lesson. First, “Thy Kingdom come” points to a crucial time in God’s plan when, sometime soon, Jesus will come again. And, when He does come, God’s Heavenly Kingdom will be established here on earth. Now, at this point, some may ask a question. They may ask: “If God’s plan already calls for the coming of His Kingdom to this earth, and God’s plan never fails, then why do we need to petition God for His Kingdom to come?” In other words, if His Kingdom is going to come to this earth anyway at God’s appointed time, then what is the point of the prayer? Well, the answer addresses one of the primary purposes of prayer. You see, prayer isn’t merely to let God know what we have on our minds. The reality is God already knows what’s on your mind.[1] Not only that, God already knows (better than you or me) exactly what our needs are at any given point in time.[2] And, God doesn’t require a reminder from us that His Kingdom needs to come to this earth if we are to have any hope at all. With these things being the case, it appears clear that, when we pray “Thy Kingdom come,” it is not for God’s benefit that we do so. Rather, it is something that is beneficial to us. As I said, God has a plan. That plan includes its very own crowning part when Jesus sits on the Throne of David as ruler of this world.[3] The reason Jesus teaches us to pray “Thy Kingdom come” is to remind us that we need to “get with His plan!” Praying in this manner helps us to develop that spiritual mindset by which we constantly evaluate all that we think and do to make sure we are being an active part of God’s plan. If we are faithful in doing that, then we will be prepared to be a part of Christ’s Kingdom when He does come again.
In addition, this part of the Model Prayer serves a second important function. “Thy Kingdom come” is not only about the coming of Jesus’ Kingdom in the future. It is also about His present Kingdom here on earth. The throne of that Kingdom sits in the hearts of all who surrender their lives to Him. Did you know that? Do you realize that there is a “throne room” within your heart? And, in that heart-shaped room, sits a big throne that’s never empty. A king always sits on that throne. Sadly, for many, it’s the “king of wealth,” the “king of power,” the “king of worldly pleasure,” the “king of alcohol and drugs,” or the “king of sexual desire” (whether it’s heterosexual lust outside of marriage or that of the homosexual variety—one is as bad as the other). People allow these and many other worldly “kings” to rule from that throne in their hearts. All of those “kings” have one thing in common. They each are sent there by Satan to separate you from the One True King. In fact, He is Jesus Christ—the King of kings! [4] The Bible teaches that King Jesus stands outside the door of your heart. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says to you: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (NLT2) Those who open that door to their hearts and let Jesus sit in the place of honor as He dines with them will never be disappointed. You see, if you allow Jesus to rule your life from the throne of your heart, then Jesus will also share His throne with you. This is the promise of the very next verse in Revelation 3:21 where Jesus proclaims: “Those who are victorious will sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21 (NLT2) Praying “Thy Kingdom come,” in a sincere and genuine manner, keeps the door to your heart open to Jesus. If you give Him access to your throne now in this life, you can share in the glory of His Throne in the life to come. And, in that sense, our prayer of “Thy Kingdom Come” is a present reality with a future hope.
Moving now to lesson six of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10b (KJV) Here on earth, human beings have free will. In other words, God has granted us the capacity to choose between either good or evil. It’s a very fair and democratic procedure. An anonymous Christian once explained it in term of a voting process like this: “The Lord is always voting for a man; and the devil is always voting against him. Then, the man himself votes and that breaks the tie.” [5] That’s not a bad way of describing free will. Unfortunately, the reality is that, on earth, human beings so often vote with the devil and against God. But, we need to understand that there are eternal consequences connected with the way you vote. Those who vote with God will be with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom forever. But, those who vote with the devil will remain with him for eternity in Hell. You see, the citizens of Heaven have committed their will to pleasing God. If you want to be a citizen of Heaven, then you need to start casting your votes consistently with Jesus. But, you can only do that in one way—that’s by repenting and having faith in Christ. As long as you live in this world, there will always be pressures to make you change your voting pattern to conform with the prince of this world whom the Bible identifies as Satan.[6]
Jesus was no stranger to this pressure. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus passed each test. Luke’s Gospel tells us: “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13 (NIV) Have you ever wondered when that “opportune time” came along? It came in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus offered His own very personal prayer to God the Father. It was a time of great anguish as Jesus knelt praying. He was agonizing over the fact that within the next few hours He would be nailed to a Cross to bear all the sins of the world. He knew the physical pain would be horrible. But, foremost on Jesus’ mind was the excruciating pain of being separated from His Father while He took on the burden of our sins and paid for them with the shedding of His blood. In Matthews Gospel, Jesus prayed: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” Matthew 26:39 (NLT2) It is this spiritual attitude that Jesus is teaching us to adopt when we pray. We must always desire for God’s will to be accomplished in our lives, and not our own. When you are going through a difficult time, don’t pray for a resolution according to what you think is best—that’s praying only for your will to be done. Rather, pray for relief that is consistent with God’s will. Ask Him to do what He knows to be best. You see, a solution based upon our will comes from the limited thinking of our puny minds, our limited access to information, our distorted view of the overall picture, our faulty view of what the future may hold. But, the mind of God is unlimited. His access to information—past, present and future—is all-knowing and complete. He not only sees the big picture—He sees it as it extends out into eternity.
The residents here in Louisa are quite familiar with the two Amazon data centers that are being planned, along with the EdgeCore Digital facility that’s headed for construction on Shannon Hill Road. These data centers process, store and rapidly distribute massive amounts of data that make the use of artificial intelligence possible. You may have used A.I. to answer some complicated question you typed into your smartphone or laptop. Instantly, you received an impressive answer to your inquiry. It seems like magic. But, take all the A.I. technology on this planet, then multiply it by a billion, and you wouldn’t even scratch the surface of God’s knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. And, bear in mind that A.I. lacks the capacity to love you, or die for you. God has a wonderful plan for your life—A.I. does not. The LORD proclaims: “For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (TLB) That’s why our prayers only make sense when we submit ourselves to God’s plan and ask that His will be done in our lives.
So, how can you do that? How can you make certain that your will is aligned with the will of God? Well, you are going to need the help of the Holy Spirit. If you want Jesus sitting on the throne of your heart, then the Holy Spirit will need to perform a big renovation project in your throne room.[7] And, it’s going to require a change of attitude on your part. Paul described the needed change in this way: 2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV) The angels in Heaven all naturally want to do God’s will. That is the way it will be with you if you allow the Holy Spirit into your life. It is what Paul means when he says: 1 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:1-2 (NLT2) [8] And, as the Holy Spirit proceeds with His transformation of your way of thinking, those petitions in the Lord’s Prayer will feel all the more natural to you—especially, when you pray: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10b (KJV)
Now, we come to the seventh lesson found in the Lord’s Prayer. Every single day, Jesus teaches us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (KJV) This part of Jesus’ prayer finds its roots in the Israelites’ experience in the Wilderness. During their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, they started complaining about the harsh conditions and shortage of food. In Exodus 16, we find: 2 “In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” Exodus 16:2-3 (NIV) This desert that they were in was a barren place on the Sinai Peninsula.[9] God had sent them there for a reason. It was a place of testing to see if they would trust in God when times were tough. And, it was a time for transforming their character from being slaves of an earthly Pharaoh to being faithful servants of our Heavenly Father. Some would remain forever stuck in that mindset of slavery—which was symbolic of their continued spiritual slavery to sin. But, others would submit to a radical change as they committed themselves to a covenant relationship with God.
There is also additional symbolism here relating to this desert environment. In the Bible, the “desert” is sometimes a sign of trials and cleansing. In this regard, there is a direct parallel between the Israelites’ trials in the desert and the three temptations Jesus was subjected to by the devil while in the desert.[10] On the whole, the Israelites did poorly during their time of testing, whereas Jesus was victorious over the devil. Christ passed His tests with flying colors.
The Israelites’ complaints were addressed to Moses and Aaron in an indirect manner. The real target of their complaints was God. They grumbled against the same God who had miraculously parted the Red Sea and saved them from Pharaoh’s army that was racing toward them. The people didn’t remember this miracle that God had recently performed to rescue them. Despite their ungrateful attitude, God heard their complaints and turned to Moses and said: 4 “‘Look, I’m going to rain down food from Heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow My instructions. 5 On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.’ 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, ‘By evening you will realize it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because He has heard your complaints, which are against Him, not against us.” Exodus 16:4-7 (NLT2) 13 And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. ‘What is it?’ they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, ‘It is the food the LORD has given you to eat.’” Exodus 16:13-15 (NLT2) This “food from Heaven” that God sent each day was called “manna.” In Hebrew, “manna” means “what is it?” (“man hu”).[11] It’s a play on words pointing to the Israelites’ puzzled reaction when they first encountered this daily provision of food that God so graciously sent their way.
So, what does this passage from the Book of Exodus have to do with Jesus’ teaching us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”? Well, there is a bit more to the story regarding the manna that answers this question. God commanded the Israelites to gather only enough manna each morning for that single day. In other words, it was to be their daily bread. Moses was very clear about this and warned them against attempting to horde the manna for use on the next day.[12] For the most part, it appears that the people obeyed, for we are told: 17 “So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.” Exodus 16:17-18 (NLT2) But, of course, there is always someone who acts as if they failed to get the memo because we are also told: 20 “But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell.” (Exodus 16:20 NLT2) These hoarders didn’t trust God to provide for them day after day. They tried to store the manna because they lacked faith that the LORD would come through to meet their needs as they arose each morning.
A lot of people are like that today. They fail to understand what Jesus meant when He said: 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in Heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT2) The “treasure” Jesus is talking about is a daily faith that God will see you through today, and every day thereafter—whatever your physical, emotional or spiritual needs may be. So, when Jesus instructs us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” He is teaching us that life on this earth is a day-to-day test of our faith in God. In good times, we are tempted to stray from Him because we have this false sense of self-sufficiency and security. During the bad times, we are tempted to blame God and abandon Him altogether when we suffer difficulties. How can you guard your soul against that? Well, you need a special diet. Exodus 16:4 speaks of “food from Heaven” that God gave to the Israelites in the form of manna. It was a very tasty food. In fact, the Scriptures say it tasted as sweet as honey.[13] Yes, manna saved the Israelites from starving in that wilderness of the Sinai desert. Today, you have an infinitely better “Food from Heaven” that saves you from the wilderness of sin. Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again.” John 6:35 (NLT2) The food Jesus offers is even sweeter than honey from a spiritual standpoint. It is the sweet and nourishing Bread of Life—Jesus Christ! He is the Word made Flesh.[14] Thinking of the amazing nourishment of God’s Word, David praised God and proclaimed: 103 “How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. 104 Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.” Psalm 119:103-104 (NLT2)
In the wilderness, Moses told the people that manna was “the food the LORD has given you to eat.” Exodus 16:15 (NLT2) This morning, we will partake of an infinitely greater FOOD and DRINK as we observe the Lord’s Supper. The Bread of Life for “food” and the Blood of Christ for “drink” sustain us eternally. For in John’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims: 53 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN and drink HIS BLOOD, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats MY FLESH and drinks MY BLOOD has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For MY FLESH IS REAL FOOD and MY BLOOD IS REAL DRINK. 56 Whoever eats MY FLESH and drinks MY BLOOD remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the Living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so THE ONE WHO FEEDS ON ME will live because of Me. 58 This is the BREAD THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but HE WHO FEEDS ON THIS BREAD WILL LIVE FOREVER.” John 6:53-58 (NIV)
Exodus 16:18 tells us that, when the Israelites trusted in the food God gave from Heaven, “Each family had just what it needed.” The same is true for you. If you trust in Him, Jesus will meet your daily needs as well—whatever those needs may be. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread”—for He is the BREAD OF LIFE!
So, there you have lessons 5, 6 and 7 of the Lord’s Prayer. May they aid you in your prayer life and keep you on the road to eternal life as well. Next Sunday, I will be on vacation. When I return (Lord willing), we’ll cover lessons 8 through 10 of Jesus’ amazing prayer!
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
August 3, 2025
©2025 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Psalm 139:1-4 1 “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.” (NLT2)
[2] Matthew 6:7-8 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!” (NLT2)
[3] Luke 1:32-33 32 “He [Jesus] will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. 33 And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!” (NLT2)
[4] Revelation 17:14 “He [Jesus] is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with Him.” (NLT2)
[5] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 64.
[6] John 12:31 “The time of judgment for the world has come—and the time when Satan, the prince of this world, shall be cast out.” (TLB)
[7] 2nd Corinthians 1:22 [God] has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything He has promised us.” (NLT2)
[8] BibleHub.com, https://biblehub.com/study/matthew/6-10.htm (accessed July 30, 2025).
[9] BibleHub.com, Exodus 16:2, https://biblehub.com/study/exodus/16-2.htm (accessed July 30, 2025).
[10] Ibid.
[11] Barbara J. Bruce, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), s.v. “MANNA,” WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[12] Exodus 16:19 “Then Moses told them, ‘Do not keep any of it until morning.’” (NLT2)
[13] Exodus 16:31 “The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.” (NLT2)
[14] John 1:14 “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (NLT2)
