Matthew 6:10 NKJV
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Your Kingdom Come
MY NOTES
There’s something powerful about these simple words Jesus taught us to pray:
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” —Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)
I’ve prayed this verse for years, sometimes without really slowing down to feel its weight. But the more I sit with it, the more it becomes a quiet surrender and a bold hope all at once.
When we say “Your kingdom come,” we’re asking for more than a future event. We’re asking for God’s rule to break into the here and now. Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. John the Baptist said the same. The early church lived in the tension of “already and not yet.” So when we pray this, we’re joining that long line of people who say, “Lord, let Your reign grow. Let more hearts bow to Jesus. Let the darkness lose ground. Let the gospel go further than it has before.”
It’s not a passive wish. It’s a prayer that lines our hearts up with what God is already doing. We’re asking for the conversion of the lost, the strengthening of the church, and the day when every knee will bow. We’re asking for heaven’s priorities to shape earth’s reality.
Then comes the second half: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
I’ve learned that this can be prayed in two very different ways. One is with clenched fists—“Fine, do whatever You’re going to do.” The other is with open hands—“Do Your will, because I trust that Your will is good, even when I don’t understand it.”
In heaven, God’s will is done perfectly—cheerfully, completely, without delay or resistance. The angels and the saints don’t negotiate. They delight in it. We’re asking that something of that same willing obedience would mark our lives and our world. That our hearts would stop fighting Him. That we would stop insisting on our own way. That we would trust Him enough to say, “Not my will, but Yours.”
God doesn’t need our permission to do His will. He is more than able. But in His kindness, He invites us to participate through prayer. He lets us share in the longing for His kingdom and the surrender to His purposes. That’s a privilege, not a burden.
So when life feels out of control, when the world looks dark, or when your own plans fall apart, this prayer becomes an anchor. You’re not just asking God to fix things. You’re asking Him to rule—and offering yourself as someone who is willing to be ruled.
Prayer
Abba Father, let Your kingdom come—more of Your rule in my heart, in my home, in my church, and across this world. Push back the darkness. Open my eyes. Soften my heart. Expand the reach of the gospel. And let Your will be done here on earth the way it is done in heaven—willingly, fully, and with joy. Change the places in me that still resist You. Teach me to trust that Your will is always good. When I don’t understand, give me faith. Where I am afraid, give me courage. I surrender my plans, my timelines, and my preferences to You today. Rule in me, and let me do Your will. I ask for this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
- Praying “Your kingdom come” is asking for God’s rule to advance in hearts, in the church, and in the world right now.
- “Your will be done” is an invitation to surrender our preferences and trust that God’s way is better.
- Heaven is the model: joyful, complete, and willing obedience. We’re asking for that same spirit on earth.
- God invites our prayers not because He needs them, but because He wants us involved in what He is doing.
Cross References (NKJV)
Daniel 9:2-3
in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Luke 19:11
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
1 Samuel 3:18
Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
1 Peter 4:2
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Psalm 40:8
I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.
Proverb for Today
Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. Proverbs 26:20 NKJV
Daily Scripture
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. Luke 1:49 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
Please enter your email and click subscribe to be notified whenever I submit a new post.
Summary of Commentaries:
The commentaries below show us that Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to break in—His reign expanding, His gospel advancing, His law obeyed—until earth looks more like heaven. In heaven, God’s will faces no resistance. Here, we ask for the same free obedience that Jesus modeled in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but Yours.” We can mutter those words in resignation, or we can mean them with trust: “Do Your will—it’s best. Change me where I don’t yet see it.” God doesn’t need our prayers to accomplish His purposes, but He invites them so we join Him in seeing His will done.
Commentaries:
Enduring Word
Jesus wanted us to pray with the desire that the will of God would be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven there is no disobedience and no obstacles to God’s will; on earth there is disobedience and at least apparent obstacles to His will. The citizens of Jesus’ kingdom will want to see His will done as freely on earth as it is in heaven. (Guzik)
iii. “He that taught us this prayer and used it himself in the most unrestricted sense. When the bloody sweat stood on his face, and all the fear and trembling of a man in anguish were upon him, he did not dispute the decree of the Father, but bowed his head and cried. ‘Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’” (Spurgeon)
iv. A man can say, “Your will be done” in different ways and moods. He may say it with fatalism and resentment, “You will do your will, and there is nothing I can do about it anyway. Your will wins, but I don’t like it” or he may say it with a heart of perfect love and trust, “Do Your will, because I know it is the best. Change me where I don’t understand or accept Your will.” (Guzik)
v. One might rightly wonder why God wants us to pray that His will would be done, as if He were not able to accomplish it Himself. God is more than able to do His will without our prayer or cooperation; yet He invites the participation of our prayers, our heart, and our actions in seeing His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Guzik)
______________________________________________________
Albert Barnes
Thy kingdom come — The word “kingdom” here means “reign.” Note, Matthew 3:2. The petition is the expression of a wish that God may “reign” everywhere; that his laws may be obeyed; and especially that the gospel of Christ may be advanced everywhere, until the world shall be filled with his glory.
Thy will be done — The will of God is, that people should obey his law, and be holy. The word “will,” here, has reference to his law, and to what would be “acceptable” to him. To pray, then, that his will may be done, on earth as in heaven, is to pray that his “law,” his “revealed will,” may be obeyed and loved. His law is perfectly obeyed in heaven, and his true children most ardently desire and pray that it may also be obeyed on the earth.
______________________________________________________
John Gill
Thy kingdom come, In this petition the disciples were taught to pray for the success of the Gospel, both among Jews and Gentiles; for the conversion of God’s elect, in which the kingdom of God would greatly appear, to the destruction of the kingdom of Satan, and the abolition of the kingdom of the beast, in the latter day; which will usher in the kingdom, of the mediator, he will receive from his Father, and this will terminate in the kingdom of glory: in a word, not the kingdom of nature and providence is meant, which always was; but the kingdom of heaven, which was at hand, nay had taken place, though as yet was not very visible, and which is spiritual in the hearts of God’s people, Jews and Gentiles; and which will appear exceeding glorious in the latter day, and at last be swallowed up in the ultimate glory; all which must be very desirable by the sincere lovers of Jesus Christ.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. His revealed will, which consists partly in the declarations of his grace and mercy; as that salvation is by Christ, whoever believes in him shall be saved, that all the redeemed be sanctified, persevere to the end, and be glorified; and partly in the commands enjoined his people, which will of his is good, perfect, and acceptable. The will of God may be said to be done by us, when our wills are resigned to his; when we patiently submit to every adverse dispensation of providence; when our hearts and actions are, in some measure, conformed to his law; when what is done, is done in faith, with a view to his glory, and without dependence upon it; of which such only are capable who have a spiritual understanding of the will of God, believe in Christ, receive grace and strength from him, and are assisted by his Spirit. These desire to do the will of God, as it is done in heaven; meaning not so much by the inanimate creatures, the sun, and moon, and stars, as glorified saints and holy angels, who do it voluntarily and cheerfully; speedily, and without delay; constantly, and without any interruption; and perfectly and completely.
______________________________________________________
Matthew Henry
Thy kingdom come. This petition has plainly a reference to the doctrine which Christ preached at this time, which John Baptist had preached before, and which he afterwards sent his apostles out to preach-the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of your Father who is in heaven, the kingdom of the Messiah, this is at hand, pray that it may come. Note: We should turn the word we hear into prayer; our hearts should echo to it; does Christ promise, surely I come quickly? Our hearts should answer, Even so, come. Ministers should pray over the word: when they preach, the kingdom of God is at hand, they should pray, Father, thy kingdom come. What God has promised we must pray for; for promises are given, not to supersede, but to quicken and encourage prayer; and when the accomplishment of a promise is near and at the door, when the kingdom of heaven is at hand, we should then pray for it the more earnestly; thy kingdom come; as Daniel set his face to pray for the deliverance of Israel, when he understood that the time of it was at hand, Dan. 9:2. See Lu. 19:11. It was the Jews’ daily prayer to God, Let him make his kingdom reign, let his redemption flourish, and let his Messiah come and deliver his people. Dr. Whitby, ex Vitringa. “Let thy kingdom come, let the gospel be preached to all and embraced by all; let all be brought to subscribe to the record God has given in his word concerning his Son, and to embrace him as their Saviour and Sovereign. Let the bounds of the gospel-church be enlarged, the kingdom of the world be made Christ’s kingdom, and all men become subjects to it, and live as becomes their character.”
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. We pray that God’s kingdom being come, we and others may be brought into obedience to all the laws and ordinances of it. By this let it appear that Christ’s kingdom is come, let God’s will be done; and by this let it appear that it is come as a kingdom of heaven, let it introduce a heaven upon earth. We make Christ but a titular Prince, if we call him King, and do not do his will: having prayed that he may rule us, we pray that we may in every thing be ruled by him.
The thing prayed for, thy will be done; “Lord, do what thou pleasest with me and mine; 1 Sa. 3:18. I refer myself to thee, and am well satisfied that all thy counsel concerning me should be performed.” In this sense Christ prayed, not my will, but thine be done. “Enable me to do what is pleasing to thee; give me that grace that is necessary to the right knowledge of thy will, and an acceptable obedience to it. Let thy will be done conscientiously by me and others, not our own will, the will of the flesh, or the mind, not the will of men (1 Pt. 4:2), much less Satan’s will (Jn. 8:44), that we may neither displease God in any thing we do (ut nihil nostrum displiceat Deo), nor be displeased at any thing God does” (ut nihil Dei displiceat nobis).
The pattern of it, that it might be done on earth, in this place of our trial and probation (where our work must be done, or it never will be done), as it is done in heaven, that place of rest and joy. We pray that earth may be made more like heaven by the observance of God’s will (this earth, which, through the prevalency of Satan’s will, has become so near akin to hell), and that saints may be made more like the holy angels in their devotion and obedience. We are on earth, blessed be God, not yet under the earth; we pray for the living only, not for the dead that have gone down into silence.
______________________________________________________
Miscellaneous Comments
The word Kingdom according to Strongs (G932) is βασιλεία which means royal power, kingship, dominion, rule: Jesus is giving us a petition to ask that God may reign everywhere, that His laws may be obeyed until the world is filled with His Glory……Unknown
- Exploring the Beauty of Psalms: Insights and Commentaries
- Monthly Breakdown of Our Blog Content
- Psalms Commentary: Faith and Inspiration
Leave a Reply