By: Lauren Thomas
What does it really mean to pray, “Your will be done”? Jesus prayed that prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane moments before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion. What a terrifying outcome to such a small phrase. And while we might feel better to leave those words there in the garden, Jesus also used them when he taught us to pray in Matthew 6:
9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10 ESV
While theologians discuss many subtypes of God’s will, at the most basic level, God’s will can be categorized as His revealed will and His secret will. God’s secret will involves His sovereign, unsearchable plans. This is perhaps what Jesus referenced in Gethsemane. God’s revealed will regards his perfect plans for us as outlined in his precepts and commands. This is the concept we see mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6.
When we pray for God’s revealed will to be done, we are praying that the world would come under the rule and reign of Jesus, that God would help us to live righteous lives, that “none perish, but all come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). When we pray “Your will be done,” we are verbally confessing our submission to His sovereignty. Truly praying God’s will involves humility, surrender, dependence, and personal alignment with His character.
First John 5:14-15 also references praying according to God’s will, reminding us of the confidence we have in God through Jesus, and encouraging us that by praying according to God’s will, we will receive what we have asked.
While we might pray God’s will be done when we find ourselves unsure of how to pray, or when we don’t know if our wish is in line with God’s plans, praying God’s will is so much more. It is a posture that honors the Father. It is an attitude we should include every time we come before Him in prayer. And it is a way to increase our confidence in God’s work in our lives.
Reflection:
Have you ever felt confusion about what it means to “pray according to God’s will”?
What prayers can you pray today in a posture of humility, submission and dependence on God?
How might this increase your confidence in God?
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