The Lord’s Prayer is not just about Jesus teaching you HOW to pray — but WHAT to pray. And what is so central to prayer is God’s will — not my will. Jesus wanted to teach us to pray for God’s will to be done in our life when He showed us how to pray. So more and more in my life my prayer has become filled much less with my words and much more with my will desiring God’s will. When talking with people who have deep challenges and needs in life — I simply pray for God’s will to be done. When I think about it, what more could I want for anyone? And when praying for people with huge and serious medical and health issues — life and death issues — I pray for God’s will to be done. When an important relationship is breaking down — I pray for God’s will to be done.
Lord, may Your will be done on earth — may Your will be done in my life — may your will be done with this person who has asked me to pray — as it is in heaven.
It is never a question of whether or not God CAN answer our prayer.
He has all the power and love to do just what we ask. But it is always a question of whether or not God CHOOSES to answer our prayer THE WAY WE WISH. So this is what Jesus wanted us to pray — that HIS WILL be done. In Luke 5:12-13 this lesson was taught so powerfully. While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.’” The man had great faith and knew how to pray. He prayed for healing IF it was the WILL of Jesus Christ. Boy that is beautiful. “Lord, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” — that is an absolutely beautiful way to pray. Submitting to the will of God is at the heart of prayer! Giving up our spirit and will to God’s Spirit and Will is tom pray as Jesus taught us to pray!
Do you remember when Jesus went to pray after the Last Supper and just moments before he was arrested and led to the Cross? “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed him. On reaching the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground’” Luke 22: 39-44. Can you see it? Feel it? Hear it? Father, I pray that Your will be done — not mine. Jesus prayed the exact way He taught us to pray. Go figure!
So let’s pray about this: O dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner, for I too often pray that my will be done. I am so grateful to You Lord that I don’t have to come to You in prayer with a litany of words, but instead simply to submit to Your holy will. So dear Lord, may Your will be done in our lives and in the lives of all the people for whom we have promised to pray. You know everything, so may we trust You and lean on You and follow You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From the Bible:
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” Matthew 6: 10.
“‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him’”
Luke 5: 12-13.
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed him.
On reaching the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground’” Luke 22: 39-44.
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