Thy Kingdom Come
Each year for the last few years we have been using the materials from Thy Kingdom Come in church. This initiative is one that has been set up to encourage people from all church traditions to pray for each other and to pray especially for five people that we know who don’t have a faith in Jesus.
During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come from Ascension Day to Pentecost (30 May to 9 June), it is hoped that everyone who takes part will:
- Deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ
- Pray for God’s spirit to work in the lives of those they know
- Come to realise that every aspect of their life is the stuff of prayer
After the very first Ascension Day the disciples gathered with Mary, constantly devoting themselves to prayer while they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Like them, our reliance on the gift of the Holy Spirit is total – on our own we can do nothing.
Through the centuries Christians have gathered at that time to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ picks up this tradition. Over the past three years more and more worshipping communities have dedicated the days between Ascension and Pentecost to pray ‘Come Holy Spirit’. Here at ABC we have spent this time praying, both together and individually, and this year we will be doing more praying. Please check out ABC Life for more details nearer to the start date.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the following as he launched Thy Kingdom come for 2019:
We are praying that the Spirit would inspire and equip us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our friends and families, our communities and networks. It has been amazing how many varied ways there have been in which people from every tradition have taken up this challenge. The effects have been remarkable.
It is our prayer that those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and his love for the world will hear it for themselves, and respond and follow Him. Specifically, we again invite each and every Christian across the country to pray that God’s Spirit might work in the lives of five friends who have not responded with their ‘Yes’ to God’s call.
In praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities.
So this year we have a challenge to respond to this call to pray for people that we know to come to a knowledge of Jesus. To pray for the transformation of our town and country as well as ourselves.
Are you willing to step up and meet this challenge? These few days, where we commit to pray, could be days of transformation for us, just as they were for the first disciples.
–Steve
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