CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 874

“Seek First His Kingdom”

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness… (Matthew 6:33)

First and foremost, above everything that this world has to offer, we must desire a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Of all our life relational contexts: God, Self, Family, Church, Government, Work, and World only God must be central through which He touches all other relationships through us. This places Him as Sovereign and as King over us. So what is the nature of the ‘kingdom of God’ and what is it exactly that we are to seek first?

Jesus described the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed with its tiny beginnings and eventual growth into a shelter providing shrub. (Luke 13:18-19) He also described the Kingdom as a small amount of yeast that works its way through the entire batch of dough. (Matthew 13:33) Both metaphors describe a Kingdom that is present, active, and steadfast in its purpose and growth.

The Kingdom of God is here having begun when Jesus our Messiah came as God incarnate and it continues to build until that future day when Jesus comes again in power and glory. The kingdom is present in its beginnings in the yielded hearts of believers in Christ. “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21) The Kingdom of God is also future in its fullness; in one sense it is here already, but in the richest sense it is still yet to come.

We who profess to be Christians comprise the Body of Christ, His church here on earth. The task of the church is to make the invisible kingdom of God visible through faithful Christian living and testimony. We must make the Gospel message credible by manifesting the reality of kingdom life in our daily walk – in our homes, workplaces, and the world. Take a spiritual inventory of your life as viewed by the world. Do your words manifest the grace, peace, and love of Jesus? Do your hands bless others as Jesus’ hands would? Is your lifestyle character consistent with that of an Ambassador of Christ’s kingdom?

To seek first His kingdom is to submit to the rule and reign of God as sovereign over your life. It is to desire the presence of God in your heart and with fear and reverence acknowledge that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) We seek first His kingdom when we obey His commandments and put our profession of faith into action.

May you desire above all else in this life to carry the light of the Kingdom of God into the darkness of this world. May you desire to have every aspect of your life bring glory to God. May your eyes be opened to the reality of the eternal kingdom that lies ahead of you and may you seek first the rule and reign of the Kingdom of God today.