God’s Will 

     Jesus Christ taught the disciples to pray “Father…Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” He told them to specifically request that the Father’s wish and desire be done. They were newly called for the purpose of being trained and taught – they did not yet know the will of God. After this day’s instructions from Jesus, the disciples would spend the rest of their lives seeking the will of the Father.

     What is God’s will? How can we know? How important is it to know what the will of the Father is? Did Jesus teach His disciples what the will of the Father is? If He did, where is that information revealed for us today? The entire concept of our conversion has to do with allowing our own personal desires to be replaced by the will of God. It is crucial that we know what the will of the Father is in order to avoid the pitfalls that deceive so many in the church today.

     “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
 
     Did you know that it is the Father’s will that everybody who ever lived should receive everlasting life in His Kingdom? (John 6:40)

     “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

     God’s will is expressed in His perfect law. David wrote in Psalms 40:8, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.”   

     When Christ returns to this earth and ushers in His millennial rule, the Kingdom of His Father, He will also begin to establish the Father’s will in all the earth. At this present time in this evil world, it is Satan’s will that is being done. He is the father of all this world’s sinners.

     “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” (John 8:44)

     Every time we see the words “Thy will be done on earth,” we should be reminded that Satan is going to be displaced by Christ bringing His Father’s peace and truth. Until then, we as Christians are to come out of this present evil world and be separate – seeking the will of our Father in heaven.

     “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

     As the children of God, we are given instructions on how to make God our Father and Jesus our elder brother. Jesus says that doing the Father’s will establishes a relationship with Him.

     “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)

     Are we able to say to God in prayer that the very reason for our existence is to do His desire? Jesus said that the Father’s will was His entire motivation in John 4:34.

     “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

     As citizens, not of this world, but primarily of heaven, we seek to do God’s will in everything. When we pray with this thought in mind, we are setting our minds to live according to God’s way of life, even now, on this earth.

     “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 3:20)

     As children of God and citizens of heaven, we are to live by the rules of heaven. That is why Jesus added, “As it is in heaven,” to “Thy will be done on earth.”

     When we pray “As it is in Heaven” we should picture in our minds that infinite heavenly realm of God that we are to be fully incorporated into one day - and begin to put in correct perspective our present cares and woes. As Paul said to the Romans in 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

    Jesus would humbly show the disciples the night before He died that even His own will was explicitly excluded in the request “Thy will be done.”

     “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

     God’s will is being done. Just like the original apostles, we are asking that His will be extended to every facet of our lives as well. Seeking God’s will and then applying it in our lives is how we put priorities in the right order.

Chapter 8 - Bread From Heaven