March | 2018 | Prayerscapes Blog

“Kingdom Threads” is a prayer poem that came to me as one continuous stream of thought as I was settling down to sleep one evening. It is a picture of threads being sown, woven and laid across the lands, connecting the broken and needy with the goodness of heaven and desolate places with the power of prayer, for these are “threads that mend, threads that gather, threads that change, threads that lead others into the hope of eternity”.

What is the Kingdom of God? It is fundamental to the message of Christ and is mentioned over 150 times in the New Testament alone. Jesus frequently speaks about the Kingdom of God in parables, and it is central to how he taught his early followers to pray (Matthew 6:9-13). He speaks of it in many ways – it’s beginnings may be as small as a mustard seed, it is like a pearl of great worth and like yeast that gradually pervades the whole of the dough (Matthew 13:33).

This extraordinary kingdom is not like any earthly kingdom, or any kingdom we have seen before. Rather, it is wherever God’s ways rule, and the great news is that this can be through us! It is open to all who seek the forgiveness of God and love the Holy Spirit, and whose hearts are abandoned to the ministry of our heavenly Father. If we, God’s children, seek to remain in him in every thought, deed and feeling we can be assured that God will take and use us to extend his Kingdom ways on earth, just as his Kingdom is fully realised in heaven.

I pray that “Kingdom Threads” will bring vision and encouragement to your heart as you weave God’s threads of light, love and truth into the lives of all you encounter: –

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And listen to “Kingdom Threads” on Spotify here.

Here are the words to this prayer poem: –

Who are God’s children? A blend of human and holy, restless longings and redeemed dreams, real doubts and fearless faith. Amidst the drab days they weave kingdom threads of kindness, patience and generosity, sewn carefully as beautiful golds within the grey. They ride upon the heartbeat of Christ, clothed in forgiveness, finding strength in the struggles, hope in the hardships and a love that brings life. God’s children snuggle under the blanket of grace where their differences melt away and tensions fade. Humility blossoms like an intricate embroidery within their lives. And joy dances amongst them, as they bin the fast fix of comparison, bypass the sting of competition and burst the bubble of control.

God’s children join together, worship in unity, engage in vulnerability, and ooze encouragement. Fear does not stand a chance, it cannot grip these little ones, showered with perfect love, unconditional affection and a peace that surpasses understanding. Panic is overridden. Shame is swept away, selfishness slayed by the thrill of compassion. And when they sing in harmony, move in sync and run as a team…there is no limit to their impact. Distinctive men and women of integrity are fashioned in God’s family. Unique, complete individuals, who rest on God’s word, seek the truth and walk daily with Christ. Dreamers and visionaries who cross the boundaries of class and culture to bring understanding and reconciliation. Devoted teachers who instil goodness and hope into the young, gifted medics who pursue excellence in treatment and care, entrepreneurs who release vision, model integrity and shun greed. Creatives who leave behind self-interest to bring the goodness of heaven to earth, faithful advocates who keep and protect the vulnerable.

God’s children learn to love each other’s imperfections, connect in brokenness and celebrate differences. Yes! And where their feet tread, their hearts engage or their voices ring out, golden kingdom threads are laid, threads that mend, threads that gather, threads that change, threads that lead others into the hope of eternity. Gods children, his sons and daughters weave royal threads of kingdom family, reflecting the majesty of the creator, heavenly and stunning and utterly indestructible.

I find the prayer of St Francis a deeply challenging prayer to read. Whether in a time of peace and prosperity, or in a period of conflict and hardship, it is not instinctive to be an “instrument of peace”. Yet the word instrument does suggest that we become a channel for God’s peace, that it flows into us from him and into the world from him. What can we do to curb our instinct to be defensive if we are shouted out, blamed or cursed? How can we pardon those who we have been hurt by, forgive those who have wounded us, or reconcile ourselves to those we blame? And what can we find that pushes back the doubts we all hold inside and ushers in faith, hope and love again?

I believe that the answer is to remain in Jesus, the source of all this grace, love and truth. It is when we engage with the eternal, pray to God, lean upon him and praise with the angels that God the musician is engaged with us, his instruments. It is only through Jesus, with his spirit alive in us, that we can truly pray this prayer. Bitterness and fear are enemies of health, enemies of relationship and enemies of progress and peace. It is essential that this prayer is one we model at every level with our children who will take this mantle from us. It is crucial that each of us begins to become this instrument at “home” first, allowing the melodies of love and grace to surround our families, for it begins with the little things in life. Being a variety of instruments of God’s peace will create symphonies of blessings in our communities and lead to radical change in the wider world. And the planet needs peacemakers whom at the deepest level give up their being to become instruments for the Holy Spirit to move. From small places extraordinary things can and do happen.

Lord, make me us an instrument of your peace. Come transform our lives and the world around us with the beautiful sounds of heaven…