“Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.”
What does it mean to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
When we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we essentially pray for two overarching things. Firstly, we posture ourselves to accept and approve God’s will over and above our own. He is sovereign – meaning that while He may permit us to express our own free-will, nothing can come between Him and the achievement of His plans. God’s will for His creation is that we would dwell with Him in harmonious unity. As the source of all of that which is good, as He epitomises love, as He embodies wholeness, His will is an emanation of His essential character. In other words, we humbly choose to set aside our own agenda with its corruption and choose to embrace the will of one whose intentions are wholly good and loving. Our sinful nature can muddle our desires, which can indeed cause conflict around us (James 4:1-3). By choosing to accept God’s will over our own, we move into a posture of humble dependence on the goodness of God and affirm His sovereign lordship over our lives and over the earth.
Secondly, we pray to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. God’s will is beautifully expressed in Isaiah 58:6-9, 12:
“6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
God deeply cares for the earth and each denizen in it. As we posture ourselves to accept and approve His will, we also ask God to use us as His instruments to achieve His will. As we are conformed to His will and transformed by it, “we will embody the transformation the oppressed cry out for!” God’s desire is to use us to bring justice and wholeness to the oppressed people across the world, in our cities, in our neighbourhoods and in our families.
Points to Pray
Ask God to know His compassion and His heart for justice.
Thank Him that since He is sovereign, we can rest assured that nothing can stop Him from ultimately achieving His will.
Ask God to help you better understand His will and to give you a willingness to trust and desire His will over and above your own.
Ask that His will be done in specific areas of your life – your career, your relationships, in your decisions.