I most associate this phrase with moments in my life when I really did not want to do God’s will. In fact, I would rather have done anything else than God’s will – even though I knew very well what He wanted, deep down. My heart and soul were yearning for some other way and my flesh was shouting loudly, drowning out God’s still, small voice.

It takes courage and persistent faith, in those times, to fight against the overpowering yearnings of the heart and subject them to the will of the Father. It takes raising the eyes of our souls up to Heaven and crying out for a higher and greater perspective, though we might not be sure what that looks like. It takes, in short, praying “Thy will be done”.

Yielding to the Father

Coming to terms with one’s own sinfulness is not an enjoyable process. It is painful to learn (often the hard way) that the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9) and that the mind does not naturally think in the ways of Heaven (Rom 12:2). Little by little we start to expect less – even nothing – of ourselves (not even the inclination to goodness) and transfer our trust instead to God.

Realising that we are unable to walk in His ways – unable to even believe or want to obey without God’s direct intervention and help – is truly terrifying. And yet, it is also liberating – for that realisation is the gateway into the life of faith. Recognising our weakness is an essential step, I believe, to truly comprehending His strength – how much we need Him, but also how much He is able and willing and desiring to save.

It is in this place of humility that God has the greatest opportunity to change us, and that we are most eager to cry out “Thy will be done!”, having come face to face with our own fallenness. The Lord has chosen, for this life and this world, to keep us in a [hopefully lessening] degree of imperfection – that His glory might shine out more perfectly from our jars of clay, and that His power might be made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

We can take comfort that even Jesus Himself needed to pray “Thy will be done” - in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the terrible-yet-wonderful portion allotted to him was looming so close (Luke 22:42). How much more do we need it, then, in our hours of trial and temptation!

A New Mindset

I also believe that the phrase ‘Thy will be done’ is not merely to be saved for those moments of deep obedience when, through gritted teeth, we choose to follow God over strong temptation to compromise. Really, it represents a totally different way of seeing one’s life and the world around - a mindset that does not come naturally to us, but which we need to ‘put on’ daily, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Praying “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” means consciously, daily and deliberately devoting ourselves – including all our weaknesses - to a way that we take on faith to be higher than ours is and to thoughts that are higher than ours could ever be. But how does that work in practice?

First, it must start with the acknowledgement – however obvious it may seem - that God is higher than we are, and worthy of our complete submission and surrender, in everything. This is not a lesson we learn once and can then assume for the rest of our days – but a perspective that needs to be reinforced daily if we are to protect against the subtle encroaches of arrogance.

Second, and by extension, it means holding loosely our desires and boundaries, our ways of thinking and our private agendas, in willing surrender to the Holy Spirit to come and re-adjust them. Whatever you are going through, are you truly seeking Heaven’s perspective – or are you seeking to persuade God to adopt yours? Are you willing to pray “Thy will be done” even if it means things unfolding in a different way than the way you plan and desire?

Finally, I believe it means pursuing a heart-felt humility which acknowledges that in everything, from the most mundane daily tasks to the most controversial and divisive problems of our day, we desperately need God’s perspective, far more than that of the world.

For His Glory and Our Good

Learning to pray “Thy will be done” demands devotion and joy – and also fear and trembling. But in all this we can take heart, because God’s will is for our good as well as for His glory. Here are some verses from Scripture that remind us about God’s will:

• “God our Saviour…wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4
  
• “…this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” John 6:38-40
  
• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
  
• “…the Lord Jesus Christ…gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”. Galatians 1:3-5
  
• “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
  
• “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
  
• “…what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Author: Frances Rabbitts