DAILY DEVOTION, May 14, 2021, Thy will be done

The next petition in the Lord’s Prayer is “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. All those in heaven, angels, and redeemed souls do the will of God. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that our lives will reflect that same spirit. If we have no intention or desire to do the will of God, we probably should not pray the Lord’s Prayer.  God will see that as hypocrisy on our part.

However, is it not true that God’s will is always done? The answer is “yes and no.” God’s will is not always done in the permissive sense. God permits us to act freely, even when we are in conflict with His will. That is why we pray, “Thy will be done.” Why pray those words if you believe that God’s will is always done?  However, when we speak of human free will we have to say that God also has free will, and when our wills come into conflict with His will, His will trumps our will. We humans have wisdom and intelligence, but God’s wisdom and intelligence are without limits. What I am suggesting is that God’s will is always done in the sense that no matter what we do, God works all things in harmony with His eternal purpose. His will shall ultimately triumph.

And so, in the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying that we may always be in harmony with the will of God. We do not always know or understand the will of God, and so we pray, thy will be done. Yes, we have our own thoughts about how things ought to be, but as Christians, we also believe that God’s ways are always best. Jesus prayed that God would find a way that would allow Him to escape the cross, but then added, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39). We need to follow His example. Never engage in a battle of wills with God. Guess who will always win!

Father in heaven, help me to live my life in submission to Your will. When my will is in conflict with Your will, I want Your will to be done. Forgive me when I demand that things be done my way. Help me to understand that because You love me that Your will is always best for me. In Jesus name, Amen.