“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts…” (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
What is the will of God? What is it that God wants?
Seeking someone’s will about something is a search for what they would desire. It is a matter of a person’s preference in a situation or the outcome of an issue. It is asking, “If it was up to you what would you like to see happen?” This can sometimes be difficult to figure out. We may ask a friend,
“What would you like to do?” “I don’t care”
“Really…what do you want to do?” “I don’t care”
“Look, I’m not a mind reader, what do you want to do?”
Ok, we all laugh, but if it is this hard to find out the will of a friend, how much more difficult to find the will of God? The Scripture above gives us very little encouragement. The truth of the matter is…It can be even more frustrating to try to find out God’s will about anything. That’s why we should notice that in this part of the Lord’s prayer Jesus is not instructing the disciples to pray to know God’s will but that His will would be done…whatever it is. This prayer is a request that comes from a heart of submission. It is a prayer for whatever God desires. It is a confession that acknowledges that what God wants trumps what we want. It is a prayer of faith…a prayer of trust in “Our Father” who we love and long to see revealed in our lives. It is a prayer that recognizes the truth of the verses above and prays accordingly:
“Father, your ways are so much higher than mine and your thoughts are far above me. You know what needs to happen more than anyone. You know the master plan. Therefore, Thy will be done.”
Today, as you pray the Lord’s prayer, are you prepared for whatever God wants to do? Do you trust God enough to pray for His will to be done? Not your will…His. Not your ways…His.
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done…”