What is the kingdom of God? It is the realm where Jesus reigns as king and the authority of God is supreme. The kingdom exists here and now in the hearts and lives of believers, as well as in perfection and fulness in the future.
           
         "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom,” Jesus told His disciples in Luke 12:32 NIV. He also told them in Luke 8:10 a NIV, “…“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you…” 

              In Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was, Peter answered that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus told Peter that truth had not been revealed to him by flesh and blood, but by His heavenly Father. Then Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:19 NIV, “…I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”
           
           Today, I would like to look at an example of where Jesus used one of the keys of the kingdom. In Matthew 14:15-21 NIV we read:

15 “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

             When Jesus told the disciples to give the huge crowd something to eat, they were thinking in the natural. “We have here only…” (verse 17). Jesus operated in the supernatural. “…Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves…” (verse 19). Through prayer to His heavenly Father, he demonstrated how to unlock heaven’s warehouse and draw upon its abundance.
           
               The wonderful news is that we as believers can do the same. “…truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14 NIV.

             We know that Jesus prayed according to the will of His Father. And we must too. 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”  God’s Word is His will. When we pray God’s Word, we are praying according to His will. Then we will not be asking with wrong motives (James 4:3).
           
​               So dear friend, when you have a need or are praying for the needs of others, don’t be like the disciples and say, “I have only…” but use a kingdom key and pray to the heavenly Father as Jesus did. As you pray in the Name of Jesus and according to God’s will, you can know that the answer is on its way.

          God always intended for humankind to walk here on earth connected to Him. In the cool of the day, He came down to fellowship with Adam and Eve. Everything they needed, He provided.
           
         Adam and Eve lost that connection when they disobeyed God and sin entered the world. Sin cannot be in the presence of God.
           
       From before the foundation of the world, God had a plan to restore His connection with humankind. “…you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.” 1 Peter 1: 18-20 ESV. God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life and die a cruel death. Jesus descended into the pit of hell, and defeated Satan and all his demons when He rose triumphantly out of the tomb. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15 NIV. God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus when God raised Him from the dead. “…Who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4 NIV.

         Satan and his devils did not understand God’s plan of redemption. “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:8 NIV. The rulers of this age wanted to do away with Jesus. They did not know that through His death and resurrection, He made it possible for His Holy Spirit to dwell in those who accepted Him as Saviour and Lord – millions upon millions anointed with the same Holy Spirit as Jesus. “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.” Matthew 3:16 NLT.
           
          After Jesus rose from the dead, in John 20:22 TLB it says, “Then he breathed on them (His disciples) and told them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.” Once again, the life of God flowed through His creation. Connection with the life of God had been restored.
           
          As born-again believers, the Holy Spirit of God indwells us. The only thing that hinders the flow of God’s life into our lives is sin. When we repent, that flow it restored.
           
​           Today, and everyday, may we allow the Spirit of God within us to flood every part of our being and flow out of us in love to those around us.