…your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

The first three requests have been about the Father: His name, His kingdom, and now His will. It is not uncommon for prayer to be about our name, our kingdom and our will. By following the Lord’s teaching on prayer, we avoid this error.

This request flows from the first two. If our lives as a church community are going to bring honor to God’s name, if His reign of justice and compassion is going to come into the community of Christ in which we live, then it is going to mean sacrifice and even suffering on our part. It will at least include that suffering which says, “No!” to greed and selfish ambition. That is a dying of its own. For God’s name to be honored, and His Kingdom to come, we must be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Therefore we must pray, “Your will be done.”

This request comes with examples. The first is on the lips of Jesus as He was preparing to carry His cross. It teaches us how to pray as we consider our own cross in following Him.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

Not only does this request apply to times of difficulty or suffering, it applies to times of potential blessing or prosperity. Even when all goes well we aren’t to assume that our will is the Father’s.

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)

Consistently praying this request will build in us a disposition of humble submission to the Father’s will. This will conform us to the image of Christ who did nothing apart from the Father’s will (John 8:28, 29).

Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel, Advance the Gospel,

Jerry

(This post was continued from Your Kingdom Come.)

Scriptures to consider as we pray this request: Matthew 26:39-41; Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 1:9-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; 5:16-18; Hebrews 13:20-21.