The Kingdom of Elohim is also a Hebraic concept which is found in the Scriptures from Genesis through
Revelation. Contained within this concept is the principle of an eternal, spiritual realm and a corresponding
physical realm which parallels it and which exists on this earth.
The greatest teacher of the principles of the Kingdom of Elohim is Messiah Y‘shua. Messiah is the King of
YHWH‘s Kingdom on this earth. He is its chief cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16). He is the future King of Israel, the
Son of David.
In Luke 11: 1 we read: ―And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one
of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray...." This request was based on the desire to know YHWH
and His Kingdom in a deeper way. The disciples had witnessed in Messiah a depth and an understanding of
the Father and His Kingdom that they themselves had not yet attained. Their request was therefore a desire
to grow and to mature in this area. Prayer is a foundational principle of the Kingdom of YHWH. It is an act of
communion with the King, HaShem (YHVH, God), which results in a greater depth of understanding about
his Kingdom.
Thy will be done
―Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven‖. YHWH's will is that the human race accept salvation and obey
His law; the law He gave through His servant Moses and which was magnified in the life of His Son Y‘shua
HaMashiach. That is YHWH's will. That is what He wants all mankind to do, to love and obey Him.
Alas! the world at large has rejected YHWH's Son and YHWH's law. Sad to say, even the majority of
Christendom has rejected YHWH's law. Have you noticed how few believers are really interested in doing
the Almighty's will? Comparatively few know what His will is. The Master, however, tells us to pray about this
problem in these words: ―Thy will be done‖.
―Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven‖. We do not pray "If Thy will be done‖, or ―if it be Thy will"; but
THY WILL BE DONE... YHWH‘s will is automatically and immediately done in Heaven and will be the same
on Earth in time. It is YHWH's will that all repent and come to know the Father. In Psalms 40:8 we read, ―To
do your will, O my God, is my desire; your law is within my heart‖. Elohim‘s will is taught in His law. Many
rabbinic teachings are similar. Rabban Gamaliel in about A.D.220 said, "Do His will as if it were your will‖.
The sense is to defer to Elohim. Y‘shua struggled with this at the Garden of Gethsemane when He said, Not
my will, but thine be done in Luke 22:41.
Rabbinic sources refer to "leaven in the dough‖, meaning man's evil inclination to sin. This is the sin nature
or iniquity that conflicts with man's desire to do good—to do God's will. Rom 7:22 tells us, ―For in my inner
being I delight in God's law...‖ We also see Paul's struggle and realise that we are rescued by Y‘shua,
according to Rom 7:23-25. We could say this: MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE—expressing an inward yearning.
After those initial, vital facts concerning YHWH's Name, His Kingdom and His Will—comes the Requests
Section of this great prayer. Notice how often the word ―us" is used. I repeat, this is a prayer we pray
together. It is a family prayer for food (literal and spiritual), for forgiveness, for power and for protection.
Requests section
Give us this day our daily bread. There is much debate regarding the meaning of this phrase. The Hebrew
background comes from Prov 30:8—―Feed me with the food that is needful for me‖. This is not asking for
wealth or poverty, but that which the Father has assigned—our proper allotment. When Y‘shua, who was
speaking in Hebrew, alluded to the verse in Proverbs, those listening would have been acquainted well
enough with the Hebrew Scriptures to have understood this. There is a problem when the text is translated
into Greek and this reference is lost. This concept is also found in Exod 16:4-10 regarding the manna—
sufficient for the day. Worry and anxiety have no place in the life of the believer. We shall have what is
sufficient each day. We find in Matt 6:32-33, ―But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall
be yours as well‖. The Yehovah Yireh of Israel is well able to supply His children with food, even if it means
dropping it from heaven. But in doing so, He may put them to the test to see whether or not they keep His
commandments. Exod 16: 4: ―Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for
you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will
walk in my law, or no‖. (See additional section below on this theme.)
And forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins) - as we forgive our debtors! Forgiveness, one man to another, is
a responsibility YHWH has given us. Matt 18:23-35 tells us of the unforgiving servant. Early Jewish thought
contains the theme of forgiving your fellow man and seeking his forgiveness before seeking forgiveness from
YHWH. Forgive and make peace before you pray. YHWH shows mercy to the merciful. The Hebrew word for