Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This prayer isn't just asking for things to change in the future; it's a call for God's perfect heavenly order to break into our messy earthly reality now. When we pray "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," we're asking for the very fabric of our world to align with God's loving intentions, just as it already does among the angels.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This section of the Lord's Prayer flows from the first petition, "Hallowed be your name." After focusing on God's sacred name, Jesus teaches his followers to pray for the advancement of God's reign and the perfect execution of His will on earth, mirroring the flawless obedience seen in heaven. This anticipation of God's kingdom and its implications sets the stage for the more personal petitions that follow, like asking for daily needs and forgiveness.
When we pray 'Your kingdom come,' are we just wishing for a future event, or something happening right now?
The word 'kingdom' in this prayer isn't just about a future era; it's about God's active 'reign' or 'rule.' It's a longing for God's authority to be recognized and obeyed.
What it Means:
We pray for God's will to be done on earth 'as it is in heaven.' What does that heavenly standard look like, and how does it impact our lives today?
This part of the prayer sets a divine benchmark for how things ought to be on earth. It’s not just a hopeful wish, but a call for alignment with God’s perfect order.
The Heavenly Standard:
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This prayer is a powerful statement that what happens in heaven should happen on earth, calling us to actively participate in bringing that reality closer.
Understand the original words
basileia · Greek Noun
The sovereign reign and rule of God, encompassing both His present spiritual authority and His future, definitive establishment of His glory over all creation.
thelēma · Greek Noun
God's sovereign desire, purpose, and moral decree for His creation; it is the ultimate standard for human conduct and the unfolding of history.
This passage speaks of the 'kingdom of the world' becoming the 'kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,' directly echoing the prayer for God's kingdom to 'come' and be established.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28It describes Christ handing over the kingdom to God the Father after all enemies are put down, illustrating the ultimate fulfillment of God's reign that is prayed for in Matthew 6:10.
Colossians 1:9-10This passage prays for believers to be 'filled with the knowledge of his will' and to 'walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,' reflecting the desire for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
1 John 5:14This verse assures that if we ask anything according to God's will, He hears us, highlighting the connection between praying for God's will to be done and having our prayers answered.
Ezekiel 36:27The promise of God putting His Spirit within people to cause them to 'walk in my statutes' is a powerful Old Testament parallel to the prayer that God's will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.
barnesMatthew 6:10: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
Thy kingdom come - The word "kingdom" here means "reign." Note, Matthew 3:2 . The petition is the expression of a wish that God may "reign" everywhere; that his laws may be obeyed; and especially that the gospel of Christ may be advanced everywhere, until the world shall be filled with his glory. Thy will be done - The will of God is, that people should obey his law, and be holy. The word "will," here, has referenc…
pulpitMatthew 6:10: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
Verse 10. - Thy kingdom come. Let there come the full establishment of thy realm. The prayer passes from the personal acceptance in the heart of God's revelation of himself to the consequent result. The clause has a much wider meaning than the development and spread of the Church, or even the personal return of Christ at the second advent. It speaks of that which shall be the issue of both this and that, the final…
This prayer isn't just asking for things to change in the future; it's a call for God's perfect heavenly order to break into our messy earthly reality now. When we pray "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," we're asking for the very fabric of our world to align with God's loving intentions, just as it already does among the angels.
This section of the Lord's Prayer flows from the first petition, "Hallowed be your name." After focusing on God's sacred name, Jesus teaches his followers to pray for the advancement of God's reign and the perfect execution of His will on earth, mirroring the flawless obedience seen in heaven. This anticipation of God's kingdom and its implications sets the stage for the more personal petitions that follow, like asking for daily needs and forgiveness.
This section of the Lord's Prayer flows from the first petition, "Hallowed be your name." After focusing on God's sacred name, Jesus teaches his followers to pray for the advancement of God's reign and the perfect execution of His will on earth, mirroring the flawless obedience seen in heaven. This anticipation of God's kingdom and its implications sets the stage for the more personal petitions that follow, like asking for daily needs and forgiveness.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." — This prayer isn't just asking for things to change in the future; it's a call for God's perfect heavenly order to break into our messy earthly reality now. When we pray "Your will be done, on earth…
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Last reviewed October 2026