Your Will Be Done, Your Kingdom Come

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus specifically teaches us to pray, “Your will be done, Your kingdom come,” a phrase laden with deep implications about the nature of God’s authority and our role in manifesting His will on earth.

It turns out that God’s will on earth is not a given nor is it automatic—it demands cooperation from us. Not understanding this salient point is the reason for much frustration and disillusionment among sincere Christians. Also true, is that sincerity is not enough to get the results we want.

The Greek word basilea—translated as kingdom in Matthew 6:10—carries profound meaning, far beyond geographical borders. It speaks of dominion, control, and influence not specifically land.

Basilea is where we derive “boss,” (via Dutch “baas”) from.

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus provides us with principles and invites us to partner with heaven, aligning ourselves with God so that His control can be secured on earth as it is in heaven.

Once again, nothing is automatic. What is clear is that we have a mandate to dominate.

The Etymology of Basilea: Kingship and Authority

The word basilea stems from basilikos (Greek), meaning “royal” or “pertaining to a king,” and it is the root of words like basilica, a type of building based on the Athenian royal portico. In Athens this was the portico of the archon basileus (chief ruler), the official who dispensed justice.

Basilikos (kingship) conveys more than just a title or privilege—it denotes the power, dignity, and authority of a king. In short, rulership, is a response-ability.

When we pray for God’s kingdom (basilea) to come, we are not asking for a physical place but for the royal authority of heaven to dispense justice, reign over earth, and exercise control.

This is the only way that chaos becomes order. Dysfunction transmogrifies into functionality. Brokenness turns into wholeness. Lack transforms into abundance. This process, through our cooperation, reflects the state of heaven on earth where order is constantly maintained.

This dominion is not passive; it requires active engagement. Psalm 149:6-9 vividly portrays the contending nature of God’s kingdom:

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples…to execute the judgment written. This honour have all His saints.”

This passage reminds us that in the face of demonic presence on the earth, we must engage with in the spiritual battle to establish God’s will. Once again, this doesn’t happen automatically, nor does it happen without our cooperation and nor does it happen without conflict and resistence.

It is a veritable battle and conflict. Dominion must be enforced for God’s kingdom to be established on earth as it is in Heaven:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Unfortunately, too many Christians are doing the opposite. Instead of submitting to God (to what He has declared true for us in His word), and actively resisting the devil, they do the opposite. They submit to demonically controlled or orchestrated circumstances and proceed to and argue with God about what is true and what isn’t.

Until there is a police force or military to enforce the written judgements of God, no matter how many legal decrees a court issues, they remain ineffective.

So the question arises: are we waiting for God to do something, or is He waiting for us?

As believers, we are called to contend for God’s promises in prayer, wielding both praise and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to secure what legally belongs to us.

God’s Will and Human Responsibility

It is short-sighted to assume that if something will automatically come to pass simply is God’s will. Throughout Scripture, we see that God’s will does not always come to pass.

The Lord requires our cooperation for His will to be accomplished. We will look at the reason for this further on.

God’s desire for goodness and justice are frequently thwarted by human disobedience i.e. human non-cooperation—including that of Christians.

Examples of God’s Will Not Being Done

The Bible is full of examples where God’s will was clearly expressed but was not fulfilled because of human disobedience or lack of cooperation.

• In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve’s sin introduced death and separation from God, deviating from His original plan for eternal life in communion with Him.
• Saul, chosen to lead Israel, rejected God’s will through disobedience and lost the kingdom (1 Samuel 15).
• Samson, set apart to deliver Israel from the Philistines, gave in to temptation and lost his strength and calling (Judges 16).
• David, though a man after God’s heart, saw chaos in his household and kingdom after sinning with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12).
• Israel as a nation often failed to enter into the fullness of God’s promises because of unbelief and rebellion, resulting in prolonged exile and suffering.

While this list barely scratches the surface of our stubbornness and resistance to God’s will, each example highlights how God’s will was not fulfilled—not because He changed His mind, but because humanity failed to align with it. To top it all off, in the wake of our rebellion, we then have the audacity to question why God “permits” so much suffering in the world.

This is why God has always sought intercessors to stand in the gap and call His will into being. Isaiah 59:16 captures this when it says,

“He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene.”

God is still seeking intercessors today—people who will partner with Him in prayer to stop evil and bring His will to pass. This is why we are called to contend for our that is holy and all we care for:

“Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” (Nehemiah 4:14)

These examples illustrate a crucial point: God’s will hinges on human cooperation—our active, deliberate and committed engagement.

His intention for the nation of Israel was to establish a kingdom of righteousness. However, the failure of individuals and leaders repeatedly delayed or distorted His plans. Therefore God continually sought intercessors to stand in the gap. These were people like Moses, who pleaded for Israel’s survival after the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:11-14). They included Abraham, who negotiated for Sodom’s preservation (Genesis 18:22-33), or Samuel who interceded for Saul (1 Samuel 15)

God is not merely looking for followers; He is seeking partners—those who will contend alongside Him to stop evil and establish His will—His dominion and control—on earth.

Dominion and Authority: God’s Word as Law

Why does God seek partnership? Genesis 1:26-28 provides the answer:

“Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock and all the earth.”

So who is in control of the earth? Here, God delegates authority over creation to humanity. This means we are response-able. By this decree, He bound Himself to work through human agency. God’s word is His law—once He spoke it, He established a structure in which humanity holds dominion over the earth. And similar to the law of the Medes and the Persians, it can’t be altered—not even by the King.

This is good news for us and demonstrates the reliability of God’s word. Even in the face of the heart-breaking horror and suffering on earth.

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Nehemiah 23:19)

Since God granted humanity dominion over the earth, as outlined in Psalm 8, the reality is that we hold responsibility for what happens here until our time of stewardship, or the “earth-lease,” expires. In simple terms, we are in control of the earth’s fate within this divine agreement.

This means that for God’s will to be fully realized on earth, He requires our active participation. By delegating authority to mankind (Genesis 1:26-28), God has entrusted us with the stewardship of creation.

Consequently, His plans are not imposed upon us by force; instead, He works through human agency. The implication is profound—God’s will depends on our willingness to cooperate, aligning our choices and actions with His divine purpose. This dynamic partnership underscores the importance of prayer, and living in accordance with God’s word.

God’s will is hindered without our cooperation. This is not because He lacks power or compassion. If that were the case, He wouldn’t have exerted so much effort. He wouldn’t have found people like Abraham, Samuel, and David who would cooperate with Him.

The Lord has not specifically chosen to work through us as His representatives on earth. The truth is He has no other choice; we’re it. This continues until the earth lease runs out, and then all bets are off!

The Symbolism of Fish and Birds

Genesis 1:26-28 speaks of dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. These are not random symbols. The fish represent the masses, often linked to humanity in its multitudes, as seen in Jesus’ calling of the disciples to be “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

Similarly, the birds of the air often represent spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us:

“Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.“

God gave humanity dominion over the birds of the sea birds of the air. This action symbolically granted us authority over both the natural and spiritual realms. This is echoed in Jesus’ teachings, where He used birds as symbols of spiritual realities (Matthew 6:26).

Prayer as the Key to Dominion

Given this delegated authority, why do we need to pray? Prayer is the means by which we activate the dominion granted to us. It is through prayer that we invite God’s reign into our circumstances, aligning our earthly stewardship with heaven’s authority. Revelation 3:20 offers a powerful image of this partnership:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Though Christ holds all power, but He actually needs us to open the door. Prayer is that act of opening the door—inviting divine intervention into our world.

Contending for God’s Promises

As we saw, the Psalmist in Psalm 149:6-9 reveals that believers must actively contend for God’s will to be realized. We are to wield the “two-edged sword” of God’s word, executing His judgments and enforcing His promises. This is not a call to physical violence. It is a call to spiritual warfare. We must contend in prayer and action for the fulfilment of God’s promises. The promises of God are not automatic; they must be enforced by those who understand their spiritual authority.

Conclusion: Ruling in Partnership with God

To pray “Your kingdom come” is to recognize that we are not merely awaiting a future reality; we are participating in a present mandate.

God’s kingdom is a reign of authority and influence, and we are called to enforce it on earth. Just as in Genesis 1:26-28, when humanity was entrusted with dominion, we must exercise that dominion through prayer, obedience, and active engagement with God’s will. Without our cooperation, His plans remains unfulfilled. The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that heaven’s authority is waiting to break into our world, but it requires us to open the door and partner with God in His divine mission.

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY: God’s will is not automatic, if we want to experience them in our lives we must enforce them through prayer, praise and the promises of God—this is how the order of heaven on earth (kingdom) comes, and His will is be done on earth.