20 Bible Verses About the Kingdom of God
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, his prayer included these words: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Many of us have memorized this prayer, but we fail to understand the Kingdom of God. Today, we’ll study this phrase and explore 20 Bible verses about the Kingdom of God.
Bible Verses About the Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is mentioned more than 80 times in the New Testament. Let’s look at 20 of these verses together today.
I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s Kingdom in your life.
Defining the Kingdom of God
First, let’s define God’s Kingdom.
In short, the Kingdom of God is anywhere God rules and reigns. His Kingdom has come to earth, in part, because he reigns in the hearts of his followers. It will come in full when evil is destroyed forever and Jesus reigns on his throne.
The Greek translation for kingdom is basileía. Basileía refers to the rule of a king, precisely the rule of Christ.
When Christ came to earth in the flesh, the Kingdom was established. The Kingdom continues to thrive when hearts surrender to Christ’s Lordship in this age. It will be fully established when Jesus returns to establish the new earth.
Now, let’s turn to Scripture and explore 20 Bible Verses about the Kingdom of God.
Bible Verses About the Kingdom of God
1. John 18:36 ESV
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Before he was crucified, Jesus spoke these words.
The Jewish people expected the Messiah to come and usher in a governmental kingdom, overthrowing Rome and establishing political rule. But God’s Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom. It is not limited to flesh and blood.
Jesus came to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. He began this work during his lifetime. He won the war for God’s Kingdom at the resurrection. Jesus will establish his Kingdom in full when he returns and establishes a new earth and a new heaven.
2. Luke 17:20-21
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
The Kingdom comes when hearts surrender to Christ’s Lordship.
This is not something we can see with our eyes. It is a spiritual work, invisible to those who lack spiritual sight.
3. Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
After Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he began his public ministry. He called people to repent and enter his Kingdom.
Repentance is the first step for receiving God’s Kingdom because our hearts must be humbled before we can receive Jesus. We must realize that we can’t earn our salvation through good works. We all need a Savior.
Repentance is the act of turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is essential in ushering God’s Kingdom into our lives.
4. John 3:1-3
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus told Nicodemus that no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.
To enter God’s Kingdom, we must begin new lives, surrendered to Jesus and his lordship.
5. Luke 18:29-30
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
At times, we will all be called to make sacrifices for the sake of God’s Kingdom. Some of us may lose family members and friends. Others will be called to leave their homes and carry God’s love to the ends of the earth.
God promises that those who make sacrifices will be rewarded in heaven.
6. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
When God’s Kingdom is made complete, he will create a new heaven and a new earth. Followers who have died will receive new bodies and dwell in the fullness of his completed Kingdom forever.
7. Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Jesus has authority over every created being. Those who follow Jesus possess this same authority.
We usher God’s Kingdom to earth when we use this authority to fight for justice and truth.
8. Luke 18:17
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
We cannot enter God’s Kingdom without humbling ourselves like children.
In a healthy family, a child fully trusts and depends upon his father. He doesn’t question or doubt his provision. In the same way, we are to come to God with trusting hearts, willing to follow him and obey him.
9. Luke 4:43
But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Just as Jesus traveled to share the message of the Kingdom of God, we are called to share this message with others.
More Bible Verses About the Kingdom of God
10. Matthew 13:31-32
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds. But when it grows and flourishes, it is abundant.
God’s Kingdom begins in the same subtle way, but it always multiplies as it grows within a heart.
11. Matthew 23:13
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day were so focused on following religious rules that they missed the heart of the message.
God’s Kingdom is about far more than rule-following; it is a call to experience God’s presence and guidance in every area of our lives. It is a call to press close to the Father, bearing much fruit in our lives.
12. Luke 6:20
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
The poor in spirit are blessed because they have acknowledged their spiritual poverty and need for God.
We cannot enter God’s Kingdom until we admit that we need God’s grace.
13. Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God wants to give us the Kingdom. He is a good Father, and he does not withhold from us.
Our role is to surrender to him and receive his gift by following Jesus.
14. Colossians 1:13
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Without Jesus, we are call condemned. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
Because Jesus took the punishment we deserve, we are delivered from darkness and into God’s Kingdom. When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Kingdom lives within us. We are no longer condemned.
15. Luke 11:2
And he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.'”
We are to pray for God’s Kingdom to come to earth in full.
One day, it will come in completion. Until then, we are called to unite with God in by sharing his love and truth with others.
16. Matthew 7:13-14
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Many people believe there are many paths to heaven. Jesus taught that there is only one way to God and heaven: Receiving Jesus as our Savior and following him.
Being a good person doesn’t grant access to heaven or God’s Kingdom. We must receive Jesus and follow him.
17. Matthew 9:35
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
The gospel is the good news that Jesus came and took the punishment we deserve by dying on the cross. Because he bore God’s wrath, we don’t have to bear this wrath.
We have free access to boldly pray to God, and we have the promise of eternal life in heaven after we die.
18. Daniel 2:44
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
One day, God’s Kingdom will come in full. It will destroy every other kingdom and reign in power.
We can eagerly look forward to that day.
19. Matthew 5:19-20
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Those who obey God are called great in the Kingdom of heaven.
As we obey him, God also wants our hearts. He wants a relationship with each of us.
20. Acts 14:22
Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
There is a cost to following Christ. We will face trials as we follow him. But God rewards those who stand firm. He is with us to strengthen us and carry us.
Let’s now apply these Bible verses about the Kingdom of God by praying for God’s Kingdom to advance on earth.
Applications of These Bible Verses About God’s Kingdom
1. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come first in your personal life.
Revival begins within individual hearts. If we don’t encounter God in our quiet prayer closets, we most likely won’t be filled with the Spirit to ignite his Kingdom in our communities.
Jesus reminds us to seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness and everything else will follow (see Matthew 6:33).
Pray for God to ignite the fire in your personal faith. You cannot give the world what you have not first received for yourself.
2. Pray for your local church body to seek God’s face.
In Psalm 27:8, David calls out to the Lord, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’”
Let’s pray for our local church communities to seek the face of the Father. When the local church body encounters the life-shaping presence of God, entire communities are transformed by the ripple effects.
Programs are an important part of helping people draw near to God. Yet let’s pray that we will not become so focused on programs that we stop pursuing the heart of God.
3. Pray for your community to acknowledge a deep need for Christ’s lordship
We live in a culture of self-sufficiency. Most of us struggle with the call to submit to Christ’s complete lordship over our lives. We insist on being our own bosses and establishing our own kingdoms.
When we pray for our communities to acknowledge a need for Christ’s lordship, we are praying for broken and contrite spirits who are weary from the struggle of making our own paths. We are praying to collectively see a need for a Lord and Master.
4. Pray for our nation to humble itself, pray, and seek God’s face
Second Chronicles 7:14 reads: “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Just as God was ready and willing to hear, forgive, and heal the children of Israel, he waits for us to return to him as a nation.
Pray for our national leadership to see a need for Jesus and draw close to him with soft hearts. Pray for humility, and pray for our nation’s leaders to long for the powerful presence of God.
5. Pray for the gospel message to reach the ends of the earth
Before his ascension to heaven, Jesus declared these words: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
We pray for God’s Kingdom to come when we pray that the message of Jesuswill reach beyond our communities, our nation, and to the ends of the earth.
Pray for the workers who are bringing his message to the ends of the earth. Pray for soft and open hearts to receive salvation through Christ.
We serve a God who wants to partner with us in bringing his Kingdom to this broken world. May we be God’s vessels in our homes, workplaces, communities, and beyond. May this movement begin with prayer.
I invite you to explore my books and free eBooks below as you follow God and pray for his Kingdom to expand.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents): Teach Your Kids to Stand Firm in Christ
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads): Teach Your Boys to be Warriors for God
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Pray Kingdom Advancement Prayers
If these Bible verses about the Kingdom of God blessed you, I have a gift for you. How would you like to spend the next seven days united with other believers as you pray world-shaking kingdom prayers? Let’s join together in praying for revival to sweep across the globe. I recently compiled a seven-day online prayer guide called Kingdom Prayers. Each day, this guide will help you pray powerful prayers to unleash God’s power in your life and in the world around you. Get your free download right here. I also offer a full library of free devotional and eBooks. Explore these books here and be blessed as you seek the King!
