5.1 The Necessity of Kingdom Prayer

For several weeks we have investigated Jesus’ command to pray, “Your Kingdom come.” We have looked at the necessity of praying daily for the reign and rule of God to be evident in our hearts and the hearts of all His children.

This week we will shift our focus and look at the end of the story. Our parable this week is a picture of the ultimate coming of the Kingdom. It is the picture of what will happen when God judges all the inhabitants of planet earth.

This parable, in giving us a glimpse of the end, is invaluable in helping us put priorities in perspective. I am convinced that many of the things that take up my time daily are not really all that important in the grand scheme of things. By focusing on the most significant priorities in life, we can spur each other on to greater, nobler pursuits, and we can be involved in seeking God’s Kingdom on the grandest scale.

The parable of the wheat and the tares

Read the parable of the wheat and the tares. Read it several times and ask the Lord to open your eyes to the truth as you read it. Jesus began by telling the parable to the crowd:

Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

Matthew 13:28 The slaves said to him, "Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' 29 "But he said, "No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.

Matthew 13:30 "Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.""'

This parable, like the parable of the soils before it, Jesus later explained to His disciples in detail. Read the explanation of the story and pray for specific ways to apply it to your life and the life of your community of faith.

Matthew 13:36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

A call to prayer…

As we come into Holy Week, I ask you to commit to fervent Kingdom Prayer this week. I encourage you to get together with other believers in several venues this week for the purpose of prayer.

God is meeting with us as we pray Kingdom Prayers. He is causing us to think and pray bigger prayers as we unpack the parables of the Kingdom. Join us for prayer. Don’t hesitate, don’t delay.

Prayer Bullets:

• Ask God to give you direction as you pray. Listen to Him.
• As a disciple, ask Him to help you understand the parables for this week, and ask Him to help you make specific application in prayer.
• Ask God to show you new things to pray – things to pray as a result of this parable.
• Ask God to lift up your eyes to see the things He wants you to see.
• Ask Him to give you a heart for those that don’t know Him.
• Ask Him to show you how to pray for those that don’t yet have the privilege of knowing Him.
• Ask Him to give you a passion to pray with His children about the things of the Kingdom.

Write your own prayer prompted by this passage as a comment below: