“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10
This is probably the part of the model prayer that I pray more than any other part. And I bet I’m not the only one.
Sometimes I think I pray it because it’s safe. And easy. I just ask that God’s will be done in a particular situation I need to pray for. And that’s as far as I go.
I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad way to pray, but I’m not sure it’s the best way to utilize this part of the model prayer. And it’s definitely not the most powerful way.
There are two ways I think may be better ways to pray this particular verse.
The first is something I learned from Graham Cooke when he spoke at our church recently. He was not talking about this model prayer, he was just talking about prayer in general. But the idea he shared really got my attention. He said since Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven and is always praying for us, why don’t we ask Jesus how He’s praying about our particular situation, then get in agreement with Him, and pray like He’s praying.
Brilliant!
If we’re praying about a situation the same way Jesus is praying about it, then we are definitely in line with this part of the model prayer.
The second idea I have about how to pray this verse is to ask Holy Spirit what your role is in bringing God’s kingdom and will into the particular situation you’re praying about.
I may be wrong, but I don’t think God is waiting on His children to beg for His will to be done in their lives and then deciding whether or not He’s going to drop it into their particular situation. I believe God wants His will to be done in our lives more than anything. And I believe He’s waiting for someone to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK to find out what His will is and then watching for them to PROCLAIM IT and DO IT.
I think a lot of people pray this verse like it is a request—and I don’t think it is. I think it’s meant to be a proclamation. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done . . . .” And when we pray that way, we are saying that we will do our part to make sure God’s will is done in whatever earthly realm we have dominion—whether that is as an individual, a family member, an employee, a ministry team member, a Little League baseball coach, a local police officer or the President of the United States. We all have a part to play in bringing God’s kingdom to earth.
I think some people are reluctant to pray for God’s will because they’re afraid of what He might ‘do’ to them, or where He may send them, or what they may have to give up. But there’s really no reason for us to be afraid to pray for God’s will. God loves us without measure and He is totally trustworthy. He is always for us and His plans for us are always to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). And God is working ALL THINGS together for our good (Romans 8:28).
I once heard a definition of God’s will that I LOVE. Ike Reighard was my pastor over a decade ago and he shared this definition one Sunday. He said, “God’s will is what you would choose if you had all the facts.”
If you knew everything God knows about you and your situation, including who He created you to be and the unbelievably incredible plans He has for you, you would choose God’s will every time.
I like that. So even if I don’t have all the facts, I know I can trust that God’s will for me is the very best.
So that’s how I’m going to pray—proclaiming that God’s will be done here on earth just like it is in Heaven, and then doing my part to bring Heaven to earth. I can’t wait to see what that looks like.
Want to join me?
What is the main situation you are currently spending time praying about? How is Jesus praying about that situation?
What is one thing you can do today to help bring Heaven to earth in your home or office or community?