She told me that she had just received word from Robb, a former Glenfield member, that the pastor of his church in suburban St. Louis had just been shot by a gunman during the sermon in the early morning service. Robb and his wife were in the service when it happened.
Then she informed me that the pastor was Fred Winters – a pastor I knew very well. We worked closely together for about a year and he challenged me personally to grow as a pastor and leader. Fred was a fireball of a guy, passionate about God’s Kingdom. He loved God, he loved the family of God, and he was passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus with people who don’t yet know the Lord.
Already gathered to pray, our congregation prayed for Fred and for the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Maryville. As the morning progressed, we got several updates, and then during our morning worship service, we received word that Fred died from the gunshot wound.
We continued to pray. We prayed for God to comfort Fred’s family; for others who were wounded in subduing the gunman; for the gunman himself; for the children in the service who witnessed the tragedy; and we prayed that God would somehow use this terrible circumstance to advance His Kingdom. We prayed Kingdom Prayers. We prayed, “Lord, Your Kingdom come. Use this tragedy to point people to You. Don’t let this cause Your children to stumble, but rather strengthen them. And use this to point many people to You. Rule and reign in the hearts of many as a result of this devastating incident.”
I travelled downstate on Thursday to spend time with Robb and his wife Pam, and to attend the wake and the funeral, both of which were held at the church. I arrived at 6 pm, was seated in an auditorium with two-thousand people awaiting the opportunity to pay their respects. The entire time, a slide show played on a screen showing pictures of Fred – full of life – with his infectious smile, using his life to serve his Lord, his family, and his church. Row by row, they ushered us into the sanctuary where again we were seated in a packed auditorium until it was our turn to pay our respects. For nearly four hours until it was my turn, I watched the slides, talked with people around me about this amazing man, and contemplated a life solely dedicated to glorify God. Again, I prayed Kingdom prayers, that God would use this tragedy for His glory, and that many people would come to Him as a result.
News of this tragedy made headlines around the country and around the world. The funeral itself was one of the two most inspiring funerals I have ever attended, as his wife and several friends not only reflected on Fred’s life, but also spoke of a renewed commitment to faithfully serve Jesus and to make Him known for a lifetime. At the funeral they played a video of Fred on the popular website YouTube, where he answered the question, “Why do you exist?” Since the funeral, fourteen-thousand people have viewed the video. News reports in St. Louis included lengthy sections of the funeral – including the pleas to follow Jesus. Truly, through this tragedy, God’s Kingdom has advanced.
Clues to Kingdom Prayers
As I mentioned last week, it was after I preached the Lord’s Prayer several times that I began to understand that the heart of the Lord’s prayer is “Your Kingdom come.” Then one day, in reading my Bible, I saw an important clue for understanding the Kingdom of God and thus, Kingdom Prayers.
In Luke 4, Jesus visited Peter’s home one night. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. They asked Jesus to help her. He rebuked the fever and it left her immediately.
At sunset, Jesus healed many who had sicknesses. Word spread. By the next morning, the entire town showed up at Peter’s house to see this miracle worker named Jesus. But He was nowhere to be found. The disciples began to search high and low for Jesus. Finally they found Him. He was by Himself in the wilderness praying.
Peter came and brought Him the good news. “Everyone is searching for You,” he said. Jesus surprised him with His answer.
“I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”
When I read the words, “I must preach the Kingdom of God”, I thought, “Jesus went about preaching the Kingdom of God? Oh, how I wish I had one of those sermons! I could learn so much about praying ‘Thy Kingdom come’ if only I had one of Jesus’ sermons on the Kingdom.”
Some clues are found in parables
And then it hit me. We do have one of those sermons. In fact, we have lots of them. My mind turned to the parables of Jesus. I remember reading things like…
“How shall we picture the Kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed…” or “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like leaven…” or “The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field…”
I learned upon studying these passages that sometimes Jesus called it the “Kingdom of God” and other times He called it the “Kingdom of heaven”. He used both terms to communicate the same thing.
So He used parables to teach the people about the Kingdom of God. From that I knew that I would find valuable clues to help me pray Kingdom Prayers.
Yet more clues are found in Jesus’ explanations of His parables.
And then, in my quest to learn to pray Kingdom prayers, I found something even more exciting.
The disciples came and asked Jesus, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered, them, “To You it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”
Jesus took time to clearly teach His disciples. They didn’t yet understand the parables, so He opened the eyes of their understanding. As He taught the masses, the meanings were veiled in parables, but when He got alone with His disciples, He held nothing back. He helped them to fully understand the principles of the Kingdom of God.
You and I have a great benefit as disciples of Jesus. We have the aid of the Holy Spirit to lead us into these truths and principles of the Kingdom.
For the next several weeks, we will study various Kingdom parables of Jesus in order to gain more insight into the Kingdom of God. Once we better understand His Kingdom, we will be able to better pray Kingdom Prayers.
Seek Him fervently as you look at these parables. Seek understanding of these truths as though you were seeking for hidden treasure. The Author of these parables is able and willing to open your understanding to these truths. Talk with your prayer partner about these things (Don’t have a prayer partner yet? Seek one for the duration of this study.) Don’t rest until He has given you insight.
This week, we’ll turn our attention to the parable of the soils. The passage is found in Matthew 13:1-23. Take time to read this every day this week.
Prayer Bullets:
This week, take a prayer walk with your prayer partner. As you walk, discuss some of the Kingdom principles you have been learning.
- Ask Him to give you a deeper understanding of Kingdom Prayer.
- As a disciple, ask Him to help you understand these parables.
- Ask Him to give you very specific ways to apply these principles.
- Ask Him to help you love Him more, love His family more, and love those who do not know Him more.
Record your insights by leaving a comment below
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