GospeLines Ministries

“Let Us Pray”

Part 5

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

Matthew 6:10 KJV

Three tough questions:  If we must pray before God’s will is done, does that mean His will is sometimes left undone?  The first question begs an answer to an even greater brain teasing dilemma:  If God’s will does not always prevail, doesn’t that diminish His sovereignty?  Finally, will persistent prayer change the mind of God?  Those are questions we should be asking when we pray, “Thy will be done.”

Let’s look at three groups who pray, “Thy will be done.”  Do you fit any of these?  FIRST, there are those who say it in an attitude of bitter resentment.  It is a statement of someone who believes they cannot escape from the inevitable and they're mad about it.  Perhaps they have lost a child and through clinched teeth they mumble the words, “Thy will be done.”  This approach shows a lack of understanding about the nature of God.  SECOND, people will say it in passive resignation.   Whatever You want to do Lord I can't do anything about it anyway, “Thy will be done.” This shows a lack of faith.  THIRD, there are some people who say, "Thy will be done," with theological reservation.  No pleading, no intensity, no passion. Theological reservation says, I don't really need to pray because it's all settled, it's all God's will, everything's God's will.  People who have this viewpoint don’t have much of a prayer life.

If you pray as these three groups you are a fatalist…you have given up on prayer altogether.  Beloved, there is a better way!  If you pray as they do, you have no reason to storm the gates of heaven in the manner Jesus taught us in Luke18:1-8 NIV (please click here to read that passage).  God doesn’t cause evil to happen in the world; He is not pleased with sin and the consequences of it, rather He tolerates it.  We can change the course of history through prayer.  Some sickness can be healed, untimely death can be overcome, nations can be rebuilt from the ashes of complacency, churches can be transformed, and families can be restored through persistent prayer!  Hallelujah!

We have a right to fight against certain situations in the world; to refuse to accept the way things are, and to pray persistently that God would do them the way they ought to be done. Praying "Thy will be done," in many cases is nothing less than rebellion.  For example, Jesus never accepted the status quo, He said, “Oh Father, does it have to be this way? I rebel against this sinfulness, I rebel against the power of sin to take my life, I rebel against the necessity for bearing sin, I rebel against these things that violate the sanctity of Your holy universe.”

How about your prayer life? Are you praying "Thy will be done," because it isn't always being done? And are you persisting, not for some private or personal reason but because you cry out for God to be glorified?

GospeLines Prayer:  Father, if I am supposed to be a rebel with a cause, teach me how to fight against evil through prayer.  Give me boldness when I pray “Thy will be done,” not “que sera sera” acceptance of a bad situation.  Help me to change the things I can and express a persistent righteous indignation about the evil things I cannot change.  Give me patience to wait upon You to fix the latter.  Amen and amen.

Tommy Harrison

www.gospelines.com

“Let Us Pray”

Part 6

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Matthew 6:11 KJV  

Prayer is an incredible resource which provides the opportunity to commune with God in a personal way, and gives us intimate insight into His character.  Jesus taught us to pray by contrasting between the prayers of the Pharisees and Christians, and the difference is this:  the prayers of the Pharisees focused on themselves and Jesus’ prayers focus upon God as illustrated in The Lord’s Prayer  .   

·         God’s paternity =  “Our Father”

·         God’s priority    =  “Hallowed be Thy Name”

·         God’s program   =  “Thy kingdom come”

·         God’s purpose    =  “Thy will be done”

And today we take note of the next lesson from The Prayer :

·         God’s provision   =  “Give us this day our daily bread”

Please do not see it as a tedious task when we look deeper into this verse.  Will you feast with me upon the meat of the Word and set aside the milk of babes and children for awhile?  “Milk is for beginners; solid food is for the mature” (Hebrews 5:11-13 The Message). Oh, how I pray that Christians will become hungry for the greater truth which can only come from persistent, dedicated exploration into the Holy Bible.   

First, what is the substance?  It is bread, a symbol for all our physical needs in this life.  It is not simply the prayer of a beggar, though it could be, but it is also the acknowledgment of all of us that God is the source of every physical provision. For some people it might be, “Lord, I don't have anything to eat for my next meal.  I ask You to give me my daily bread, that Your name may be glorified.” Or, it may be, “Lord, You have supplied so much and I thank You and I acknowledge You as the source and I ask You to continue to provide with such graciousness, that Your name may glorified.”  Our prayer glorifies God!!

Second, the source is God, who is the source of everything. You don't possess anything that He didn't provide. He is the Creator and the Sustainer and the Preserver of the entire universe, everything that we have is from His hand, everything.

Third, the supplication (our request) is give.  Now, this is not a request from desperation, it is spoken from a deep trust that if we ask He will give!  There is no possibility that He won’t. 

Fourth, the seeker is “us.”  Although God may feed the unrighteous, this is a promise for the Church, for the godly.  Our Lord has promised to take care of the righteous, as David said, we will never see our children “begging bread” (Psalm 37:25 NIV ).

Fifth, how often?  The schedule is “this day,” meaning bread for the coming day, to teach me to take one day at a time.

How compassionate are you?  How deep is your trust in God’s Word, particularly the promise given to us in this lesson?  Beloved, I do believe in feeding the hungry, but I believe if I give a man Jesus Christ, then God will take care of all the details.  Don’t take my word for it; just teach a hungry man to believe what Jesus taught and his problems are over:  “Don’t worry so much about stuff.  People who don’t know God fuss over those things too much” (Please click here to read Matthew 6:33, ‘TheMessage’ ).

GospeLines Prayer:  Father, I am humbled by what you have taught me today!  Whether I come as a beggar man or a rich man, You will provide my needs when I pray by faith.  Lead me to the place where I will sweat the small stuff less and less by trusting You more and more.  Amen and amen.

Tommy Harrison

www.gospelines.com