DAY 19: PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL TO BE DONE

It’s important to note that God’s will is not always done on earth as it is in heaven. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be encouraged to pray for heaven to invade earth, right? It is obvious that we live in a world that is suffering the consequences of grave sin, and that while God is sovereign over all, His will often is not accomplished in our midst. Murder, hatred, terrorism, divorce—these and a thousand other manifestations of our brokenness were never part of God’s plan, which is why Jesus implores us to pray for the Father’s will to be done. We must discover that it is God’s will (and not ours) that is flawless, good, and true.

Prayer is not getting our will done in heaven, it is getting God’s will done on earth. Our God is neither finite or erring or sinful. He is a perfect Heavenly Father who desires the best for His children. He will always give to us exactly what we need in His own way, in His own time.

Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God. When we engage in seeking prayer, we tap into the greatest power source available to humankind, the power of God’s will in the world.

The prayer life of the believer is not centered around twisting God’s arm or manipulating God’s mind. But rather it is adjusting our will to the will of God. It is asking Him to help us bend our will to His will.

The Lord Jesus is the ultimate example of this. He said that it was his “food” or “nourishment” to do the will of the Father (see John 4:34). Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). And so we pray, seeking the will of God for our lives. God wants what is best for each one of us. The happiest and the best place on earth is right in the center of God’s will.

It’s been said that prayer is not changing God’s mind but finding God’s mind. So in seeking God and His will, we discover how to live. The way to learn what God wants with our lives is to pray.

1 John 5:14–15 says: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have of Him.” We can pray with confidence and certainty in the will of God. Praying for the will of God is to pray for His glory in lives and when we get His glory we get our good.