[Great Verses] Prayer of the LordSample

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer that pleases God is prayer that is focused on God’s will, not our will. Lord, may your will be done in my life, in my family, in my church, in my community, in my country, in the whole earth. And we mean it when we pray this way. We really want God’s will more than our own will. This is our heart. Prayer is not getting what we want from God. Prayer is not trying to get God to change his mind. Rather, prayer is aligning our will with God’s will, because God is the sovereign and holy God and He knows what’s best. 

Prayer is getting on board with what God is doing and surrendering all that we are and all that we have to a loving Father. Prayer that pleases God is focused on God’s plans, God’s desires, and God’s agenda for our life, rather than our plans, our desires, and our agenda for our life.

Jesus exemplified this heart in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed in his agony, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). This is the way Jesus prayed, and this is the way God wants us to pray.

The first three requests in the Lord’s Prayer focus on God’s glory. The last three requests focus on our needs. “Give us this day our daily bread” is a petition for God’s provision day by day. Lord, I depend on you for daily bread. My bread ultimately does not come from a grocery store, but from a loving Father. Bring all your needs to God. If there is something you need, ask for it. From Genesis to Revelation, God teaches us to ask, repeatedly. Ask, ask, ask. “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2).

This doesn’t mean we get whatever we want whenever and however we want it. But your Father tells you to ask. In fact, the asking itself glorifies God. Think about it: every time you ask God for something, you implicitly declare: Lord, I believe you are God. I believe you are God, I’m not, and I need you. I am not sufficient on my own. Lord, I may not have perfect faith, but I have enough faith to come to You and ask, “Lord, help me! Lord, rescue me! Lord, deliver me! Lord, I believe that you care, that You can do this for me if You choose, and that You are my Papa. Amen.”

Every time you ask God for something, you glorify your Father in heaven. Asking God for things is not a sign of selfishness. It’s a sign of dependence. Papa likes it, so ask.