Jesus taught us to pray that God's will be done on earth as in heaven.
This is a good prayer to recite (the Lord's Prayer). But Jesus' point was not that we should recite prayers. (The New Testament never describes anybody reciting a memorized prayer.)
Jesus knew that we would pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians). Jesus was giving us some guidelines for all those prayers--all of our prayers address a heavenly Father whose holy name we glorify, and all of them recognize our ongoing need for provision, forgiveness, and deliverance.
And in all of our prayers, we seek for God's will to be done on earth as in heaven.
When we are sick or struggling, we do not pray to be taken from the pains of this earth; we pray that God's will (peace and healing and fellowship and joy) would shine even in our suffering on earth as in heaven.
We do not pray to be taken from the pains of this earth, but that God's will would shine even in our suffering on earth as in heaven.
When we feel threatened, we do not pray for a wall of heavenly power to keep out this earth's dangers; we pray that God will give us the wisdom and strength to face our threats by doing God's own will on earth as in heaven.
When we are happy and life is good, we don't pray to freeze time and avoid the earth's problems; we pray for God to see us through the ups and downs of life in a way that leaves the earth better than we found it, as God's own will keeps showing itself on earth as in heaven.
The life of following Jesus is a life of asking to God work in and around us, so that God's will would be done here, now--on earth as in heaven.
--Jonathan
REMINDERS:
Join us every Sunday at 10 a.m. to encourage one another in worship.
Next Wednesday (August 2) is our 7 p.m. Ladies Meeting.
Sunday, August 6, join us for breakfast at 9 a.m. in the social room.
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