Not my will but yours

Sarah West

When Jesus was asked by the disciples to teach them to pray, he gave them 70 words that form the one prayer every Christian knows off by heart because we pray it every day. However, do we know this prayer so well that some of the words have lost their meaning? Are we praying these phrases intentionally?

Jesus tells us not to “heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do”, but when you know the words so well that they trip off the tongue of their own accord, empty phrases are exactly what they can become.

I think that it is helpful to first explore who we think we are praying to. The Lord’s prayer is also known as the Our Father, and it is these two words that put the rest of the prayer into context. The intimacy of the word Father, is more than creator, it reflects a sense of relationship and ongoing care about our wellbeing, a sense of being known and loved. Praying to the Father reminds us that we are all children before him. Furthermore, we pray to Our Father, not ‘My’ Father. We are not an only child, we have brothers and sisters. In two words, we express our belonging to God’s family and our fellowship with everyone else. It portrays something of the character of God, which is important when considering the phrase that has caught my attention recently:

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.  

I wonder how often we say these words without really thinking about what this means. You could read it as God will prevail, without any action required from us. Or as an extension of the previous line: thy Kingdom come, as the fulfilment of God’s will. Or is there more to it than that? Does praying for God’s will to be done call us to get on board and participate, rather than just let it happen?

We say “Thy will be done”, but how often do we actually pray about “My will be done”. When we pray we ask for the thing that we want to happen and it’s difficult not to feel let down when God does not show up in the way we want or expect and our prayers seem to go unanswered. It is easy to get confused between our own will and the will of God. It is difficult to hear and discern God’s voice amongst all the noise and distractions of this life, to make space for God in the busyness of our minds.

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prays the same words that he taught the disciples earlier. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). This is Jesus’ obedient surrender to his calling.

Thy will be done, is a challenging thing to pray intentionally. Even if we do think we know God’s will or sense what we are being called to, it can be a difficult thing to obey. It requires letting go, and putting aside our own need to be in control or our ego. It helps to remember who we are praying to, Our Father, who sees, knows and loves us, who calls us by name, and to whom it is right to pray ‘thy will be done’.

God, grant me the humility to still my own thoughts, the attentiveness to hear your word, and the courage to obey your will. Amen.