The prayer that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples, referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” says in part, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus also stipulated this about prayer: “for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt 6:8).
Christians should always use the prayer that the Lord taught His disciples as a “model prayer,” which it is, because it serves instruction about praying; telling us things to keep in mind when we pray.
First and foremost, prayer is done exclusively to God. That’s why we start with “Our Father (whose abode is) in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). Then, “hallowed be your name” (v. 9). This means we are acknowledging the holiness and righteousness of the only true and living God. He alone is worthy of our worship, honor, and adoration. And to Him be all the glory, now and forever.
God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven is a most important aspect of prayer, and not to be missed.
Prayer includes appropriately asking God to supply our needs, and not our “wants.” We must never attempt to demand anything from God. Rather, we should submit our requests to God in an attitude of “I will accept your will over my own will and be happy with the outcome.”
Let’s keep in mind that God’s ways are not our ways; neither are His thoughts our thoughts. He alone holds the future. He knows what we don’t know. He knows exactly what’s best for each of us.
It has been proven that should God answer some of our prayers the way we wanted or expected, the results would have been disappointing or problematic to say the least.
There’s a notable difference between needs and wants. Needs are those things that are essential for living or survival; such as air, water, food, shelter, and clothing. Wants stem from personal desires that are not actually essential to sustain life and health. Simply put, wants are not needed for a person’s survival.
A fair question to ask one’s self is “do I have to have it?” Or, “What can possibly happen if I forego the thought and forget about it?”
A noteworthy example of submitting to God’s will for Christians to consider is recorded in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane and He said to them: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:38,39 NIV).
Keep in mind the Lord’s words: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” This “cup” the Lord referred to was a symbol of His approaching sacrificial death on the cross.
Ponder this point. How else can my life be pleasing to God if I am not willing to submit to His will rather than allowing my own will to prevail?
The Apostle Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV).
Paul in effect is saying that the Christian life is the “outliving” of the “inliviing” Christ. We must therefore allow God’s will to supersede our own will.
The only way to live a meaningful God-glorifying Christian life is by faithfully submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:9-11 says: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus Christ must indeed be, (not should be) Lord of our lives. This is accomplished by completely surrendering our personal lives to Him, through commitment and obedience to the truth of God’s word. Christ said: “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say” (Luke 6:46).
The intent in trusting Jesus Christ by faith as Savior, means we also accept the fact that He is also Lord of all. S. M. Zwemer said: “Unless Christ is Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” This is a true saying. We must therefore submit to Christ’s authority of our whole life and not just a part of it. Then, and only then God’s “will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).