WILL!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

“Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10

The Kingdom program was the concern of the previous clause of the Lord’s Prayer. Now, as we pray this sentence, we are affirming, “Father, even though your kingdom is not yet fully established, may you rule in our lives right now.” Even now, already, in this in-between time as we wait for the end, and until that day arrives, until your Kingdom comes, O God, rule in our lives. Your will be done.”

This is a particularly important petition to bring before God. You see, the rest of the Lord’s Prayer focuses on our particular needs. But before we rush to present our grocery list to God, we must pay attention to this line, to his will. He is no cosmic vending machine, you know. So we pray, “Father, even before we ask you for our needs, we acknowledge that your purpose comes first, your will is preeminent. Yes, we are going to ask you for a number of things, Father, but we remember that your will must be done first. And we, we are OK with that. We willingly align ourselves to your will and to your purpose. Even if we don’t get what we want, even if our desires do not come to pass, may your will be done.”

So pray with submission! This is our acceptance of God’s purpose in our lives. This puts the will of God very early in our praying. Before we begin praying for ourselves, we have settled God’s will—we submit to that. Indeed, if we are aligned with His purpose completely, we can be sure God will meet our requests.

This is the confidence
which we have before Him,
that, if we ask anything
according to His will,
He hears us.
1 John 5:14

“Your will be done.” Are we ready to have His will done in our lives, to submit to His demands, even if it means what we want may not necessarily be realized? Are we ready to swallow all the pills God gives us—sweet and bitter, to accept with joy all that He takes us through—pleasure and pain?

“Your will be done.” Remember Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?

“Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me;
yet not my will,
but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42

“Your will be done.” God’s Purpose. Pray with submission! Not easy. The agony of what lay before Him, caused Jesus’ sweat to take on the appearance of blood. No, not easy at all. “Your will be done.”

And this submission to God’s will involves understanding His purpose for our lives.

For this is the will of God,
your sanctification ….
1 Thessalonians 4:3

Our holiness. Not our happiness, but our holiness. That’s God’s purpose. And so may “Your will be done.”

And do not be
conformed to this world,
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove
what the will of God is,
that which is good
and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2

And there is a reward promised for those believers in Christ who have actualized this prayer in their lives—“Your will be done.” For those in whose lives the will of God has been done, there is the promised recompense of God’s pleasure.

For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have
done the will of God,
you may receive
what was promised.
Hebrews 10:36

Endure … and pray with submission!