In most church services and families, it is a common thing to pray the Lord’s Prayer together out loud. But do Christians realize what they are saying? Or is the Lord’s Prayer just a formality, just a religious prayer, that has been taught at home or in church? Because every time, Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer, they say “Thy will be done“. What does Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven mean according to the Bible? What is the will of God?
When does God value your prayers?
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10)
God values prayers when your heart and life are totally devoted to Him. If you have given yourself to Him, then there is a desire in your heart to get to know Him and to spend time with Him. The way you get to know Him is through His Word.
Therefore you will spend time in His Word. When you get to know Him, through His Word, then you will get to know His will. When you know His will, you can pray His will and you can do His will on earth. Because how can you pray His will and do His will, if you don’t know His will?
Jesus walked in the will of His Father
Jesus, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father (Galatians 1:4)
Jesus; the Son of God, came to the earth in the flesh and walked after the Spirit. Jesus walked in the will of His Father and did the works, He had seen His Father do. Jesus didn’t love His own life but submitted His life to the Father and eventually gave His life for the world. Jesus said, “not My will, but Thy will be done”
Jesus gave His life for all the sins and iniquities of humanity, so that they could live a life, free from sins, and be reconciled to God the Father (Read also: ‘Jesus restored the position of fallen man‘ and ‘The peace Jesus restored between fallen man and God‘).
Jesus died, and because He took all the sins and iniquities of the world, He went to hell. But He didn’t stay there. On the third day, He was raised from the dead, and took the keys of death and hell.
Jesus gave Himself, so that you could be freed from your sinful nature; your life as a sinner. He made a way, so that you could be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Heaven, and be united with your new Father.
Jesus did all this because it was the will of His Father. Jesus loves His Father, and therefore the will of His Father became also His will. Jesus’ life was yielded to the will of His Father. He didn’t live for Himself, but for His Father, so that the Father would be glorified
What is the will of God?
In the first Book of Thessalonians, chapter 4:3-9 and chapter 5:18, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the will of God, which is:
- Sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication (and all appearance of evil) and that you possess your vessel in sanctification and honor (walk in holiness) instead of the lust of concupiscence (desires, sexual desires)
- Love one another (don’t defraud your brother in any matter)
- Rejoice evermore
- Pray without ceasing
- In everything give thanks
- Don’t quench the Spirit
- Despise not prophesyings
- Prove all things; hold fast that which is good
Don’t use your liberty as a cover of evil
Paul was not the only one, who wrote about the will of God, John and Peter did also write about the will of God. Peter wrote, that when you obey God and you do His will on earth, you will not walk after the lust and desires of the flesh in unrighteousness anymore. Instead, you will walk after the Spirit in righteousness. The flesh and the Spirit can’t go together, because the Spirit wars against the flesh, and the flesh wars against the Spirit.
Peter instructed the believers, to not use their liberty in Jesus Christ for a cloak of maliciousness.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king (1 Peter 2:15-17)
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing (1 Peter 3:16,17)
Love not the world
John wrote about the will of God. He said, that you should not love the world, and neither the things that are in the world. When you love the world, then the love of the Father doesn’t abide in you. He encourages you to walk in God’s commandments, instead of walking after the lust and desires of the flesh. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are not of God, but of the world.
And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning (1 John 2:3-7)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (1 John 2:15-17)
Thy will be done on earth
Let there be a desire in your heart to get to know your Father. Only through Jesus Christ; the living Word, you will get to know Him. Therefore take His Word and spend time with Him, so that you will get to know Him and His will. If you know His will and begin to walk in His will, you shall bring the Kingdom of God on earth.
When you get to know His will, and you pray: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”, you will know what His will is and you shall walk in it.
Don’t let the words “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” be some religious words. Don’t let it become a religious prayer, that you pray once in a while. But let these words become a prayer of the heart and let the will of God become your everyday purpose.
When you love Him, you shall do His will, instead of your own will, and you shall walk in His commandments. Just like Jesus walked in His commandments and said “not My will, but Thy will be done”
When you live in Him, doing His will on this earth, you will receive His promise; eternal life.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
