“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
-Matthew 6:10 (ESV)
“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." (King David)
- Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jesus Christ)
-John 4:34 (NIV)
Let your will be done is the third petition in the Lord’s Prayer. It is closely related to the first two and what connects them is the ending phrase “on earth as it is in heaven”. The Lord’s name is treated as holy in heaven but not on earth. Jesus Christ reigns in heaven but his rule on earth is not consummated until his return. In the same way, God’s will is followed in heaven but is frequently violated here on earth.
This begs the question then that if God is sovereign so that his will is always accomplished then why is it that his will is not fully followed by man? The answer lies in the way God’s will is revealed in Scripture.
1. God’s efficacious will is the eternal, unchanging purpose concerning all things that he has made. This is absolute and is always fulfilled. When God said let there be light, it was created. Jesus commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead and Lazarus lived again immediately.
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
-Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)
2. God’s preceptive will relates to his laws and commandments that he issues to regulate the behavior of his creation. This can be violated or disobeyed. For example, God’s will is that the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are followed but everyone has violated these commandments.
3. Lastly, God’s will is sometimes revealed as his basic inclination or disposition. He desires all men to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) for example, but this will not come to pass. There will be men who will go to hell.
Going back to Matthew 6:10, it makes sense then that the prayer must be asking for the Lord’s preceptive will to be followed here on earth. It is a prayer that expresses the surrendering of our will and the commitment to walk in obedience to God’s commands. It is a desire to see others follow Jesus Christ.
God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Furthermore, God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Lord, not my will but yours instead. This is not a fatalistic attitude but a strong desire to follow God's will all the time. Fatalism is resigned to the inevitable and is not of faith Real faith hopes in God in times of trouble. We are assured that the Lord works everything according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11) and that everything works together for our good (Romans 8:28).
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