Friday, April 4, 2008

Bringing Heaven to Earth

Our Father, who art in heaven... ...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Have you ever really thought about that last phrase? What are we saying? We are asking God to bring heaven to earth; to transform our circumstances as they could be transformed in heaven. So often we think, "Oh, things will never change until we get to heaven." In one sense that is true because everything will be glorified there. We'll have new bodies, new understandings and healed relationships because of our new understandings. However, I believe this prayer given to us by Jesus is reminding us that God's healing and understanding is fully available to us now. By saying, "on earth as it is in heaven" we are calling down the power of heaven into our lives. We are embracing now, what we believe God will fully reveal to us after we die.
Imagine what our lives would be like if we had that kind of faith. "Lord, make our earth as heaven. Make our cities as heaven. Make our neighborhoods as heaven. Make our homes as heaven. "
God didn't say how long it would take to transform all these things. But he did ask us to pray this way. I think that says alot.