Why We Pray, “Your Will Be Done”

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?

Why We Pray, “Your Will Be Done” By Rick Warren — Sep 18, 2015 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 NIV) We worship God when we give him our lives every time we pray. Jesus teaches that when we pray, we should commit ourselves to God’s will. God has a specific will for your life. The Bible says in Romans 12:2 that his will is good and perfect and it fits you. Part of connecting with God is saying, “God, what is your will for me today? I want to do your will.” In Heaven, God’s will is done perfectly. The problem on Earth is God’s will is not always done. That’s why we’re to pray, “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” We’re saying, “God, I want to submit to you. I want to do what you want me to do.” You can pray “Your will be done” in three different ways. You can say it in resentment: “Your will be done, but I don’t like it.” You can say it in resignation: “Your will be done, because I can’t help it.” Or you can say it in anticipation: “Your will be done, because I know it is the best, and that’s what I want for my life today!”  I was a kid, we watched a popular TV show called “Father Knows Best.” Your earthly father may not always know what’s best, but you can trust that your heavenly Father does. That’s what it means to say, “Your will be done.” Pray this prayer: “God, I know your will for my life is better than anything I can dream up. I want to give you my life. I want your will done in my life.” PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does it mean to pray in anticipation? How can you know what God’s will is? Do you believe that God cares about your dreams and desires? Why or why not?   And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. --Romans 8:28       If you are going through a problem today, how do you overcome it? I want to give you a few practical steps to help you weather the storms of your life. First, trust God. I love what the great preacher Charles Spurgeon used to say, “God is too good to be unkind, too wise to make a mistake. And when you can’t trace His hand, you can always trust His heart.” God is committed to bringing glory to Himself and good to your life by making you more like Jesus. He does that through the circumstances of your life. Be confident in what Scripture says: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Secondly, give thanks in all things. You may not understand your circumstances, but you can know that God is using them to make you more like Jesus and move you closer to your purpose in His plan. The apostle Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, and imprisoned. Yet, in Ephesians5:20, he challenges us to give thanks “always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul knew how to overcome problems in life—by trusting God and giving thanks to Him in every circumstance. Why not do the same today?! God is committed to bringing glory to Himself and goodness to you.