So last night I’m praying through what we commonly call “The Lord’s prayer” and I got stuck on the word, “Earth.” I couldn’t get past that word. I thought about the line that comes before it:

“Your kingdom come and Your will be done on Earth…”

Jesus tells us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on “Earth.” What struck me is the incredibly BIG perspective of that word. Earth is not just me. Earth is not just my family, my friends, or my church, my tiny kingdom. Earth is . . . well . . . Earth. Everyone. The entire planet. God wants you and I to pray for the Kingdom and Will of God to come to everyone on Earth.

What struck me is that I often pray “Me-only” kind of prayers. In fact, I have often changed the line to say: “Your kingdom come and Your will be done in MY LIFE.” The prayer was focused on me, my world. Then I thought, how much time to we pray for God’s will to happen in OUR LIVES? How much energy do we seek God to give us direction INDIVIDUALLY, to show us His will for us and us alone. I do it all the time.

While it’s not bad at all to pray for God’s will to become clear for you individually, there is significance to the Lord’s use of “Earth” in this prayer. That we join Jesus in praying for the will of God to happen for the WHOLE EARTH. For the neighbor next door and the Iraqi on my TV to live in God’s kingdom and will. It gives us perspective in our requests for God’s direction. “God I want you to show everyone your will and bring everyone into your Kingdom, not just me and my family and my church. I pray God’s will in New England and in Old England. I want Norway as well as North Attleboro to receive His Kingdom.”

I think this kind of perspective will change how you see what happens to you. How you pray for your own desires and how we understand the implications of our personal prayers. It may change what we ask for. If God answered our prayers exactly as we want right now – how would Argentina come closer to Christ? Maybe that’s not on our minds all time the time, but it is now . . . so . . .

God is Big-Perspective. Let’s be the same.