Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10 KJV

Yesterday we looked at the model prayer that Jesus used to show His disciples how to pray. I used to have a hard time praying for God’s will when I knew that it may not be what I wanted. But, as we grow in our relationship with Christ, we want to submit to His will. We know that His will is best for us. We are told in Romans 8:28 that God works all things out for our good. When we trust this it is easier to submit to God’s will.

We are told in John 15:7 that if we abide in God and God’s words abide in us that whatever we wish will be done for us. Luke 11:9 tells us to ask and it will be given to us. Matthew 21:22 tells us that whatever we ask in prayer, we will receive if we ask in faith. One might read these verses and take it to mean that we can get whatever we ask for, but James 4:3 tells us that we ask and don’t receive because we ask with wrong motives.

1 John 5:14 makes these passages a little clearer. It tells us that we can have confidence that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. John 9:31 explains that God doesn’t listen to sinners. We talked about this yesterday, but it goes on to say that if we worship God and do His will, He listens to us. 1 John 3:22 tells us that whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.

One thing we can rest assured of is that God’s will is going to be done. God gives us free will. We can choose to trust in Him and be in His will or we can choose to do as we please. We are told in Romans 14:11 that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to God. If we are in God’s will then of course we are praying for God’s will to be done, right? When we align ourselves and our lives with God’s will, whatever we ask for will be done, because we are praying for God’s will to be done. We know that there will come a day when God’s kingdom will come. For those of us that have lived our lives in God’s will here on earth, that will be a glorious day.

We’ve learned this week that God doesn’t listen to sinners (John 9:31) and that our sins create a barrier between us and God (Isaiah 59:2). We must also understand that when we accept Christ as our Savior, devote our lives to Him and reject evil that we want to be in God’s will. We want God’s will to be done. Our prayer life reflects this. We are able to accept that God is going to do what is best and that His will is best for us. (Romans 8:28).

This may cause us to ask why pray if we know that God’s will is going to be done? We pray to acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We pray for God’s guidance and protection. We pray in order to stay in close fellowship with the Lord. This is what we were made for. God wants to communicate with His children.

According to James 5:13-18, we should pray in all circumstances. If we are suffering, then we should pray. If we are cheerful, then we should sing praises to Him. If we are sick we should ask for prayer. If we have committed sins, then we should pray for forgiveness. We are told in James 5:16 that the urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful.

We can’t understand someone’s will unless we are in close contact with them. When we enter into a close relationship with our Lord and Savior, then we are better able to understand His will. We are better able to align ourselves with His will and be accepting of His will. We come to understand that He wants what is best for us, so His will is always best.

God knows what our future holds and He knows what is best for us. Know that His kingdom is coming. Trust in His will and don’t be afraid to pray, “Thy will be done.”

Have a great day!