Thy will be done.
Matthew 6:10
The hardest four words to pray as the four we will examine today: Thy will be done. We pray the Lord’s Prayer so often, and yet we often don’t think of what we are actually praying. If we lived according to God’s will, in all times and in all circumstances, we would be holy, like the saints, and would feel no need to any other prayer request. These are the most difficult words of prayer to utter, and this is the most bold request we could make in prayer, to ask God for His will to be done. We often think of our own needs, or the needs of others, in prayer. To pray “Thy will be done” is to release these needs and to complete submit everything to the will of God.
Before we can boldly request “Thy will be done,” we must first understand the will of God. The will of God always points us to holiness. How do we achieve “holiness”? In love and in thanksgiving. In John 13:34-35, Jesus teaches His followers: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. We know that the two great commandments are to love God and to love one another. We also know that love is an expression of selflessness and sacrifice. To love one God and to love one another at all times is to empty ourselves of any personal desire, and to have our only desire to love and to serve God and others. In I Thessalonians 5:18, St. Paul writes that we are to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. God’s will is for us to live in a perpetual state of gratitude. This doesn’t necessarily mean that are to be thankful for all circumstances (we don’t have to pray “thank You God that I am sick,” or “thank You God for my challenges.”) It means to be thankful IN the circumstances, to find gratitude in whatever circumstance we are in.
Instead of praying out what God’s will is, we can pray for courage and perseverance to live out His revealed will, to become more like Him, to become holy. Knowing God’s will and keeping it, however, are two separate things. In Luke 8:21, Jesus says “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the words of God and do it.” Knowing God’s will is not enough. We must act on what we know.
God’s will is specific and unique to each person and yet it is the same for all people—to live in holiness. St. Paul writes in Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Each of us arrives at this in a unique way. We each have specific talents and different opportunities to live out the will of God. The common denominator is to live out the will of God. How each of us does that will be different.
The concept of surrendering to God’s will, of total submission, is an expression of faith and trust in our God. The word “submission” has a bad connotation it would seem. We think to submit means to surrender our intellect, and all joy, to the seemingly “oppressive” will of God. This is also not accurate. In John 17:13, Jesus prays that His followers “may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” It is a joyful thing to follow the will of God, because submission puts us in sync with God. Submitting to God’s will doesn’t mean we have no will. There are plenty of things I enjoy that conform the will of God. Where “Thy will be done” comes into play is every time I arrive at a “fork in the road,” so to speak, where I want something that conflicts with what God wants for me. To submit means to take the road that God would have us travel, rather than our own road.
We can also question the will of God. Ultimately, we are to follow God’s will, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come to God in uncertainty over His will. That doesn’t mean we can’t express confusion to God, or ask for direction from God. But ultimately, we are to submit our will to His will. Jesus shows us an example of this in Matthew 26:39-42, when He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His arrest and Passion. He is overcome with sorrow and anxiety at what is about to happen to Him. We read And going a little father, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as Thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)
This is why we continually pray not only for God’s will to be done, but for God to reveal His will to us. In Psalm 143, we read Teach me the way I should go, for to Thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to Thee for refuge! Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God! Let Thy good spirit lead me on a level path! (Psalm 143:8-10)
Jesus warns that following God’s will can be very difficult and costly. He says in Mark 8:34, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” The Lord’s Prayer is repeated by millions of people daily who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone’s will be done by their own. And even more so, there are people who make an effort to follow the will of God, but they draw a line in the sand so to speak, about what they will put under the will of God and what they will keep under their own will. It’s like telling God, “Thy will be done, as long as it doesn’t involve my marriage, my family, my job, my assets, my retirement account and my hobbies. Everything else is yours.” To truly follow the will of God, to truly surrender and submit, means that there is no line. Everything is placed under the will of God and this is very difficult.
God’s will cannot just be a morality Gospel such as “be good, get along.” It is so much more than this. It is a unique calling for each of us to live a Christ-centered life. And it goes beyond that. It also includes a commission to share the Gospel. God’s will is for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:4) And we each are called to play a role this.
The concept of surrender should not be a downer. We read in Psalm 40:8, I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is written on my heart. Rather it should be a joyful exercise, as well as one of humility, boldness and confidence in the good, loving and generous character of God.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications! In Thy faithfulness answer me in Thy righteousness! Enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for no man living is righteous before Thee. For the enemy has pursued me; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all that Thou hast done; I muse on what Thy hands have wrought. I stretch out my hands to Thee; my soul thirsts for Thee like a parched land. Make haste to answer me, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear in the morning of thy steadfast love, for in Thee I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to Thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to Thee for refuge! Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God! Let Thy good spirit lead me on a level path! For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In Thy righteousness bring me out of trouble! And in Thy steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am Thy servant. Psalm 143
Points to ponder: Do you have trouble submitting your will to God’s Is there anything you are currently holding on to that you know you need to submit to God’s will? What would be the impact on your life if you prayed this prayer “Thy will be done” like you meant it?
