“Be careful what you wish for!” We often employ this admonition to encourage others to give second thought to a radical desire they might be expressing. If you are made suddenly wealthy, are you prepared for the responsibilities that come with such wealth? If you are granted a vacation away from all your troubles, might your troubles only compound during your temporary absence?
“Pray, then, in this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10
Jesus includes this teaching on prayer in his Sermon on the Mount that Matthew shares in his telling of the gospel. Prayer naturally includes an element of wishing for the pray-er. Asking God in hope for specific action or particular outcomes is certainly a form of wishing. Given Jesus’ teaching on prayer, we might then want to adapt our admonition to “be careful what you pray for!”
Today, let’s take note of where this prayer formulation begins, remembering that God is God, and we recognize that we are not. It’s God that will bless creation and will make real God’s vision for the world. And we also name God’s vision as a kingdom, different from the reign, rules, and regulations that humans claim.
Let’s remember John the Baptist’s announcement and Jesus’ subsequent declarations, “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Our prayers have already been answered. And our prayers for the kingdom to keep coming will continue to be answered.
May God’s hope embrace you today. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray… God of the heavens, come near. Bring your vision to us, especially where it might free us from the burdensome constraints of the status quo and propagated by the powers of this world. May we find possibility in you. Amen.