PRAYING GOD’S WILL BE DONE
Jesus said we should pray to our heavenly Father: “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). Our Father’s primary will on earth is for us to believe in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and become like him (John 3:16; Romans 8:29). Our Lord and Savior always prayed according to the heavenly Father’s will; and the Father always heard him ( Luke 22:42; John 11:41-42).
PRAYING FOR THINGS IN LINE WITH GOD’S WILL
- Truly repent and believe in God’s Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 2:38).
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:7).
- Live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4; John 14:23).
- Seek first the will of God, and all other things that the God already knows you need and desire will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33; Psalm 37:4).
- Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).
- Be willing to take up your cross and follow the Lord (Mark 8:34)
- Be willing to wait on the Lord, who will not disappoint you (Psalm 27:4; Romans 10:11).
- Grow in the likeness of the Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:29).
GOD GIVES US ONLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US
Our Father knows what is best for us as his children. And he will not withhold any good thing from us. For if he did not withhold giving his only begotten Son to die to redeem us while we were still sinners, how will he not with him freely give us all things that are good for us (Romans 8:32).
However, our loving and all-wise heavenly Father will not give us anything that is harmful to us even if we pray for it. Even an earthly parent who loves their children would not give them a deadly serpent that appears to be a fish even though the child begs and cries for it (Luke 11:11-13; 1 Corinthians 10:23).
- Our Father is aware of the things his children need and desire at every stages of their growth and development. And he knows the things would promote or hinder their spiritual growth (James 4:3).
- An example of our Father’s withholding something that would be harmful, might be his not giving a lot of money to one of his children who have a love of money. God would like them to understand that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). For he knows that some who coveted after money “have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1Timothy 6:10). And God asks: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul” (mark 8:36).
- God may not grant our prayers to remove suffering that he designed to glorify him and cause us to grow into the likeness of Christ. Although Jesus was sinless, our Father did not take away his cross of dying for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). In his willingness to submit to the cross for our salvation, he glorified the Father, who exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (Philippians:8-9).
As we grow and delight more in the Lord, our overriding desire and will become more like those of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Father…not my will, but yours, be done.” And when we ask anything according to his will, he will be glorified in doing it for us.
