Your Will Be Done!
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
The Bible speaks extensively about the will of God. Christians are expected to live and serve according to the will of God. Yet many of us struggle to know what God’s will is, or when to know that something is God’s will. Thus, we must pray like the Psalmist, who says, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!” Psalm 143:10 ESV
That is the first biblical truth we must comprehend- God’s will must be taught. The only way to know the will of God is by reading the word of God. The word of God teaches us that it is the will of God to abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3). It instructs us that the will of God is for us all to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
In the word, we learn that it is the will of God for no one to perish but that everyone would have eternal life. Thus, in John 6:40, Jesus said, “For this is the will of my Father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Consequently, it was God’s will for Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb who alone can take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
In today’s text, Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” During this coronavirus pandemic, we need to pray for God’s will to be done in our medical system, our political system, and our economy. For, God’s will is always best for us. His will refers to His perfect plan for us individually and communally. In Jeremiah 29:11, we learn that God’s plan is intended to prosper us and not to harm us. It is meant to give us hope and a future. Therefore, the will of God is always good and perfect.
We must provide every opportunity for God’s will to be done in our lives and the world. Our mandate, as followers of Jesus Christ, is to remove everything that hinders the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. That requires that we remain connected to the Holy Spirit so we can remain centered on the will of God.
When we pray for God’s will to be done, we open ourselves up to be used by God as instruments of his will. That is a self-effacing prayer through which we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. The people who want God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven are not conformed to the pattern of this world. Instead, they are transformed by the renewing of their minds according to the word of God.
It is, therefore, logical for Jesus to say, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother,” Mark 3:35). The point is that we walk in unity of the spirit with those who want God’s will to be done. They are our brothers and sisters because they share our passion for all creation to conform to the will of God.
Walking in the will of God is mandatory for spiritual growth and maturity. Thus, Paul warns the Ephesians, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). That understanding helps to shape our worship and influences our discipleship.
Growing up, I was taught to say, “if the Lord wills,” I will see you tomorrow, or go to school, or go to church, or do this or that. This idea came from James 4:15. It is a reminder that God has ultimate control over every aspect of life, and nothing can happen without his permissive will.
I no longer say that as often as I should. Instead, I pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, daily, and in every area of my life. That prayer causes us to relinquish control to God in every aspect of our lives. It gives us confidence and the hope that God has a plan to proper us when things are not working as they should. Most importantly, that prayer gives us the blessed assurance that we are saved by the Almighty to reflect his glory and serve as an instrument of his will.
Prayer- Blessed Father, teach us to trust your perfect will during this season of crisis knowing that your will is best for us even when we are losing friends and loved ones, and we live under the threat of an international economic recession.