'Thy Kingdom come ' (Matthew 6: 10)

as we hallow our Father's name, we ask that His Kingdom may come. What a wonderful thing it would be for all of us if it did come.

Kingdom means King-dominion. And this in turn means the domination of the King's laws. A Kingdom of any kind stands on the obedience of its people to its laws. In so far as the laws are disregarded the Kingdom falls.

Our Father's Kingdom is founded on our Father's laws of love, which are the eternal truth. In general, these laws are called His commandments. And they are summed up in two great commandments: love to God and love to our neighbour. Our prayer, then, for His Kingdom to come is a prayer for government by His commandments. By His laws, all of which regard God first, and the neighbour equally with self.

Such a Kingdom, ruled by such regulations, would transform our sad and troubled world, There would be total disarmament, and total freedom from fear. There would be no crime and no prisons. No want, and no misery. And all this change would come because we loved our Father by keeping His commandments (John 14, 21)

There is only one thing opposing the coming of such a happy Kingdom: it is self-love. Self on the throne instead of God.

It is good for us to pray for our Father's Kingdom to come, but it can only do so where men and women give it access- For at heart it is a kingdom of love, and never uses force. But it can come for you—if you like ! You cannot successfully force it on others, not even on your own family. But there is one person you can justly compel to receive it—it is yourself.

'Repent: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand' (Matthew 4, 17)