Your will be done…

(Matthew 6:10)

There are no arguments in heaven over obeying God’s will.  The angels don’t’ spend weeks mulling over whether or not they’ll do what God is telling them.  They obey-immediately, completely and cheerfully.  If only people would do the same! We know God loves us and wants what’s best for us:  The cross proved that.  And our problem is seldom that we don’t know what to do; we usually know only too well what God desires.  Too often we just don’t want to do it! Some people spend a lot of time seeking God’s will.  The truth is, if they spent as much time doing what they already know God wants them to do, the rest would take care of itself.

Jesus reminds us to turn our gaze away from ourselves and outwards to the work God is doing around us.  “Your kingdom come” is really a request that God would bring about his rule over every person on earth.  Presently, not every person calls Jesus Lord, but one day everyone will (Philippians 2:10-11).  Of course, we cannot pray earnestly for God to have His way over every other person’s life if God is not the Lord of our own life.  This prayer must begin with me.  I have to ask, “Does God rule over my life?”  If He does, then I should pray that He would have complete rule over my family, my neighbors, my classmates, my friends, until everyone on the face of the earth obeys Jesus as Lord.

When we pray this prayer, we must be prepared to be part of God’s answer.  If God is to rule in our friend’s life, God may want to use us to make her aware of His love.  We will be Christ’s ambassadors, working to expand God’s kingdom wherever we go (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Praying for God’s kingdom to come is not enough:  we must be prepared to get up on our feet and go our as Christ’s messenger to those who have not yet claimed Him as their Lord.