“Your Will be done (Matthew 6:10).”  Four simple one-syllable words that are very easy to pronounce, but much harder to really mean.  Saying them is easy, praying them much more difficult.  The reason it is so hard to really mean these words is because implied in them is that we are giving up control of our own life.  God has a will for my life, but I have my own plans and desires.  When we pray this part of the Lord’s Prayer we are asking that His will take precedence over out will.  Only one will can be done at a time, either ours or God’s.

Often we don’t even know what His will is for our lives, so how can we follow it daily?  We know God’s will by learning His Word (Psalm 119:18).  In His Word we see what He commands us to do as well as forbids us to do.  We get to know Him and His character so we know how He feels about various situations.  In God’s Word we see God’s heart, and when we understand that we’ll know what His will is for us in life.

But knowing His will also means listening to His still, small voice when He speaks to us as He did to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13).  He doesn’t shout.  Nor does He use some great emotional or supernatural experience  to communicate with us, just a quiet whisper (1 Kings 19:12).  It’s a voice we need to learn to recognize.  He may put His thoughts into our minds (John 2:22; 14:26) or a desire in our hearts (Luke 24:32; Psalm 39:1-3).  His Spirit will communicate to us what He wants us to do, or not do.

“Your will be done” is difficult to pray sincerely because it means we are letting go of our plans for what we think we need and trusting God for what He knows is best for our growth and His glory in the long run.  We call Him “Father” because He is worthy of that trust.

Do you trust Him enough to truly pray “Your will, not mine, be done”?  Do you know Him and His Word well enough to know what that will is for you in your life?

(Written by Jerry Schmoyer, 2014.  You can find more of his writings at http://www.christiantrainingonline.org/.  If you have questions or suggestions feel free to contact him at jerry@schmoyer.net)