Read the Westminster Standards in a year.

Shorter Catechism

Q 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed;1 and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced,2 ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it;3 and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.4

Larger Catechism

Q 191. What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. In the second petition, (which is, Thy kingdom come,5) acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan,6 we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed,7 the gospel propagated throughout the world,8 the Jews called,9 the fullness of the Gentiles brought in;10 the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances,11 purged from corruption,12 countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate:13 that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted:14 that Christ would rule in our hearts here,15 and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever:16 and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.17


  1. Matthew 12:25-28

    Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

    Romans 16:20

    The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

    1 John 3:8

    Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (ESV)

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  2. Psalm 72:8-11

    May he have dominion from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth!
    May desert tribes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust!
    May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
    render him tribute;
    may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts!
    May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!

    Matthew 24:14

    And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

    1 Corinthians 15:24-25

    Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (ESV)

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  3. Psalm 119:5

    Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!

    Luke 22:32

    but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

    2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

    3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (ESV)

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  4. Revelation 22:20

    He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (ESV)

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  5. Matthew 6:10

    Your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.

    Luke 11:2

    And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

    “Father, hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come.
    (ESV)

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  6. Ephesians 2:2-3

    in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (ESV)

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  7. Psalm 68:1

    68:1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!

    Psalm 68:18

    You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
    even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

    Revelation 12:10-11

    And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (ESV)

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  8. Psalm 67:1-2

    67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
    that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.

    2 Thessalonians 3:1

    3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, (ESV)

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  9. Romans 10:1

    10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (ESV)

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  10. John 17:9

    I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

    John 17:20

    “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

    Romans 11:25-26

    Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

    “The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

    Psalm 67

    67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
    that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
    Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

    Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
    Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

    The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
    God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him! (ESV)

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  11. Matthew 9:38

    therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

    2 Thessalonians 3:1

    3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, (ESV)

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  12. Malachi 1:11

    For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

    Zephaniah 3:9

    “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
    that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord. (ESV)

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  13. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

    2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

    Isaiah 49:23

    Kings shall be your foster fathers,
    and their queens your nursing mothers.
    With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
    and lick the dust of your feet.
    Then you will know that I am the Lord;
    those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.” (ESV)

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  14. Acts 4:29-30

    And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

    Ephesians 6:18-20

    praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

    Romans 15:29-30

    I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

    I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,

    Romans 15:32

    so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

    2 Thessalonians 1:11

    To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

    2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

    Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (ESV)

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  15. Ephesians 3:14-20

    For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

    Colossians 3:15

    And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (ESV)

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  16. Revelation 22:20

    He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

    2 Timothy 2:12

    if we endure, we will also reign with him;
    if we deny him, he also will deny us;

    2 Peter 3:12

    waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (ESV)

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  17. Isaiah 64:1-2

    64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
    as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
    to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

    Revelation 4:8-11

    And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

    “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

    And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

    “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
    for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

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Copyright © Tim Hopper. Based on Calendar of Readings in the Westminster Standards by Dr. Joey Pipa. Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.