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Your will be done . . .


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#1 Julie Daube

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Posted 01 October 2015 - 10:46 AM

I've been reflecting lately on how powerful this prayer is: "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We often anticipate that God's will is going to be something negative or unpleasant to us. But when we think about heaven, where God's perfect will always prevails, we can know that what God wants for us here on earth is that same perfection and wholeness we will experience in heaven.

 

Jesus, we thank that there is no sickness, suffering, pain, or lack in heaven. And we pray that your perfect will be done in our bodies, finances, marriages, families, and every area of our lives, on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN!

 

 


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#2 ADVRider

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Posted 01 October 2015 - 03:28 PM

I've been reflecting lately on how powerful this prayer is: "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We often anticipate that God's will is going to be something negative or unpleasant to us. But when we think about heaven, where God's perfect will always prevails, we can know that what God wants for us here on earth is that same perfection and wholeness we will experience in heaven.

Jesus, we thank that there is no sickness, suffering, pain, or lack in heaven. And we pray that your perfect will be done in our bodies, finances, marriages, families, and every area of our lives, on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN!

Julie,

Great thoughts. As I was recently pondering along the lines of God's will, I realized that while it is perfect and good, often we are not in a place to receive it. What is required is the transformation of our thoughts and heart so that we are aligned with what God desires. Personally, I think asking God for His will can be a challenging proposition for us because it then requires something on our part. Similarly, I was thinking about God's care and provision for us; I am absolutely convinced God has our backs and will meet every need, so long as we do not tell God what the need is; that is, define it for Him and insist our understanding of things is correct. He is sovereign and sometimes that means we have to adjust to the curve. But if we can "let go" and trust, then that is where we find the true rest the NT speaks of. It also frees the Father to be Who He is while we simply trust Him for His will to be done. I am not implying there are not times where we clearly know His will and have to fight for it; there are those times for sure. I am just saying there are many times believers strive for things that are, in reality, their will, as opposed to God's. Some things are clear, but many times, we tend to assume of God's will in our fickle humanity.

I also believe there are mysteries in the will of God that work character, perseverance, faith and trust in our hearts. Take Job for example. He did not get the answers overnight, and in the natural, he incurred much loss. Point being, pat answers usually do not answer much. But faith, when tried, works a knowledge of God's will and His ways that cannot be had any other way. So, while it is never the Father's intention to hurt us, if trust and peace have not been established in one's heart, the will of God being worked-out in a person can make them feel like their world is being turned upside down. And not in a good way. After moving to another state in the early 2000s, completely in the will and leading of God, I told a friend that "I felt like I was being crushed." It was a confusing and emotionally difficult time for me; yet, it was completely God's will that I "be crushed," because the old had to go and something new had to come. The gospels call it the disciple's cross; the cross means death, and that equates to pain. So, there are those seasons in the will of God that pruning, dying, and the like must come, if we want the equally God-ordained resurrection life, altogether an ongoing process.
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#3 Julie Daube

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Posted 02 October 2015 - 10:29 AM

You make some good points, ADVRider! Allow me to respond to some of them.

 

"As I was recently pondering along the lines of God's will, I realized that while it is perfect and good, often we are not in a place to receive it. What is required is the transformation of our thoughts and heart so that we are aligned with what God desires." I agree completely, and I think this happens very often when it comes to things like divine healing. Over the years I have encountered a number of believers who seemed unable to receive healing because they simply didn't know how to receive from God. For instance, I have heard Christians say they don't deserve to be healed, etc., as if any of God's blessings are dependent on whether we deserve them. So in this case, a transformation of one's thoughts is definitely needed to receive the healing that God desires.  

 

"I am just saying there are many times believers strive for things that are, in reality, their will, as opposed to God's." I agree this happens a lot, especially when it comes to specific things we want rather than general things that are promised in the Scriptures. For instance, we know God wants all His followers to have a godly spouse, so it would be perfectly fine for a believer to pray, "God, I know you want me to have a spouse who is walking with you, so I pray that you send me the man/woman of God you have for me." But sometimes a believer will meet someone they think is the right person for them without praying about it or seeking God's will in the matter. After my husband proposed, we waited a week to get engaged so we could hear from God if He really wanted us to marry. Alex was going to give me the ring after the Sunday service, and we sensed God's confirmation during the sermon that we were in His will.

 

I think it is always safe to pray for anything God specifically promises us in the Word.

 

"I also believe there are mysteries in the will of God that work character, perseverance, faith and trust in our hearts." Absolutely, and Job is a great example, as is Joseph. On that note, I love the following Scripture: "Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph's character" (Psalm 105:19, NLT). 

 

I really liked what you said about it never being the Father's intention to hurt us. There are many believers who say that God intentionally sends calamity, sickness, etc., to teach us lessons. What I believe is that God does not send these things to His children but allows them for our ultimate benefit and for His glory. His desire is for us to have life in abundance, while the enemy seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.      


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#4 ADVRider

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Posted 02 October 2015 - 12:57 PM

We often anticipate that God's will is going to be something negative or unpleasant to us.

Julie,

 

Sorry if I hijacked the thread. I agree that the Lord wants to bless us, and that includes the things you mentioned in your post. Of course we know, it does not always happen the way or in the timing we think it might. There are, in my opinion, through observation and scripture, unanswered questions that godly people can be left with. At least for a season. And sometimes, a long season. That's why I offered that pat answers don't help too much in those times.

 

The other part of my reply was based on the sentence above. We should know that God's will won't be negative, but many times, the outworking of God's will is unpleasant. Hebrews even speaks of the discipline we must endure as sons...The context is clear that it is based on a father knowing what is needed even when the child doesn't understand why it "is good for him." No chastening feels good at the moment, but then....it works righteousness. How does the believer handle the time in between? If, as I alluded to, trust has not been established in one's heart, a person might perceive that what could be God's activity in their life is negative. If we survey the Bible though, we likewise should not think the walk of faith will be easy or will not cost us anything. In one sense, following Jesus costs us everything. Being human, that is going to hurt at times. We do new believers a disservice when we only say "God has a wonderful plan for your life" and don't tell them the heartache and sorrow they might experience. Jesus was upfront with the 11 and said, it's literally going to cost you your life! In the will of God, no less! Not exactly your Sunday morning feel-good message!   

 

What I have found more than people struggling to receive, is people struggling to understand God's ways with His children. Many Christians want the pat answer because in the short term, it's more psychologically comforting. However, this position often prevents them from really learning what God is up to or after in their life. In a sense, their position locks them into their own narrow view. Often, because they are so sure of God's will in a certain area of their life, they can actually begin rebuking the work the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish in them. Again, sorry if I hijacked the thread, but I felt led to point out that God's will takes in the other perspective as well; the dealings of God and the victories. The blessings do come, but often only after some trial has produced the gold it was designed to.  

 

Yet, there are times when God simply bestows His blessing as well and there is no hardship involved. Wonderful! So I agree, some of us don't believe God loves us and can't receive when God would pour our His love and healing, etc. It's also rooted in not knowing the heart of the Father. I know this is your main point and it is a huge issue for a lot of us. I guess we need to learn to receive, but also to trust when it does not happen as we hoped. Sometimes, we won't have the answer and we still have to say, "God is good and He is faithful!"


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#5 Julie Daube

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Posted 02 October 2015 - 01:46 PM

Julie,

 

Sorry if I hijacked the thread a bit. I agree that the Lord wants to bless us, and that includes the things you mentioned in your post. Of course we know, it does not always happen the way or in the timing we think it might. There are, in my opinion, through observation and scripture, unanswered questions that godly people can be left with. At least for a season. And sometimes, a long season. That's why I offered that pat answers don't help too much in those times.

 

The other part of my reply was based on the sentence above. We should know that God's will won't be unpleasant or negative, but this is just not the human reality. Many times, if not most, when it's pruning season, it hurts. Hebrews even speaks of the discipline we must endure as sons...The context is clear that it is based on a father knowing what is needed even when the child doesn't understand why it "is good for him." That is why I posted what I did. What I have found more than people struggling to receive, is people struggling to understand God's ways with His children. Many Christians want the pat answer because in the short term, it's more psychologically comforting. However, this position often prevents them from really learning what God is up to or after in their life. In a sense, their position locks them into their own narrow view. Often, because they are sure of God's will in a certain area of their life, they actually begin rebuking the work the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish in their life. I think we might have all seen that on occasion.

 

I didn't think you hijacked the thread at all, ADVRider. I thought you made some valid points that were quite relevant to the topic. And you are right about many godly people having unanswered questions for very long seasons. I've just gone through one of those seasons and have been in them on and off for over a decade now. And I've heard my share of pat answers and even comments that I wouldn't be going through hard times if I was walking in obedience.    

 

My intention in making my original post was not to give pat answers to believers going through deep waters. As someone who's been through more than my share of them, that's the last thing I would want to do, and it's unfortunate if my post came across that way. I was really thinking of believers I've known who say it's not God's will to heal or who think that the Christian's only lot in life is to suffer. 

 

Not only does God want to bless us, but He can even bless us amid some of our darkest times (the words "treasures in darkness" comes to mind). Last fall, my mother-in-law and my dad died within weeks of each other, our car died around the same time, and we couldn't afford a new one. But it was simply incredible the way God blessed us during that time, especially through His people. It felt like we were living out the verse, "You spread a feast before us in the sight of our enemies."

 

I agree with what you said about things often not happening in the timing we think it will. Even that can be to our benefit. My husband always wanted to be married by the time he was in his mid-20s, but he had to wait till he was in his early 30s to meet me. This was in part because there's a seven-year age difference between us and also because I wasn't ready spiritually for marriage until then. On top of that, I was a die-hard Catholic before we met, and he was very anti-Catholic at that time. My husband often didn't understand why God was "making" him wait so long for a wife, as if He was being mean. He realized later that while he was waiting for me, God was preparing me to be his wife. If he had met me any sooner, I would not have been ready to marry him (I left the Catholic Church shortly before we started dating).

 

Thanks for chiming in! I thought you had some very good insights to this discussion. I hope I was able to clarify the intention of my post.      


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#6 Candice

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Posted 03 October 2015 - 05:32 PM

HI Julie,

I often start prayer by saying this verse "Your will be done"....but only the Father knows if I really mean it in my deepest heart of hearts.  I know His will is the very best.  Sometimes the reality is not there.  It is tough to pray anything else these days as the whole world seems to be in a state of being shaken at the foundations.  Tough to know exactly what to pray...so praying "Your will be done....." seems the only words that come out sometimes.

 

Thanks for this post.


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#7 Julie Daube

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Posted 05 October 2015 - 08:56 AM

I've often had moments like those, Candice. I am at a loss of what to pray and just declare His perfect will into the situation. This is very helpful when we have no clue what His will might be.