Prayer- Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

Ever dream about "the perfect job"? Not the one that will make you rich or famous. I'm talking about the gig that is the polar opposite of what you do everyday. As someone who sits at a computer and does a lot of work with his head and his mouth- I dream about a job that involves physical labor and no take home stress. Like cutting grass or working construction. Then a few weeks ago I did demolition for 3 hours in a space our church is renovating. I was sore for 5 days. My perspective of a life of manual labor changed dramatically. I had this romanticized vision of working with my hands, but learned that it can also be really tough.

Jesus tells us to pray "Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth As In Heaven". We probably have some pictures in our heads about what these words and concepts mean. But do our perspectives about God's Kingdom and God's Will match His? My guess is no. In fact, our ideas probably differ in a bunch of ways from what God has in mind. Let me throw out a few to get you thinking:

SEPARATE VS. SYNONYMOUS
We read Jesus' instructions and instantly add two distinct items to our prayer list. But what if God's Kingdom coming and God's Will being done are one and the same? If we define "God's Kingdom coming" as God setting things right again and reconciling all Creation to Himself, then isn't that also His ultimate, over-arching Will? Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven. All time and history are moving towards seeing God's Kingdom fully and finally re-established. So, why does this really matter? Those of use who follow Jesus ARE a Kingdom to God. Are we asking God to use us to help establish His Kingdom? Or praying that whatever needs to happen in us will happen so that we and others can get in on the Kingdom?

EASY VS. GOOD
My idea of God's will for my life can be summed up this way: God wants me to be happy, healthy and never struggle. Yes, I know this isn't what the Bible says- but it is what I really want. Not just for myself, but for my kids. The other day I was with my daughter in Wal-Mart. She wanted to buy a toy and my wife and I told her she'd have to spend her own money. She had about 7 bucks. Time and again she picked out toys that were too expensive. After a while it hurt my heart to tell her, "Honey, you don't have enough money." As her dad I wanted her to have what she wanted. The thought of her "going without" made me want to step in and fix it. Then I wondered, "What is it I want to do for my daughter?" Do I want her life to be easy? If so, I need to shelter her and not allow her to encounter any difficulty. Do I want her to become a mature, well-adjusted, responsible adult? If that's my goal then I might allow her to struggle and learn life's lessons. What is God's ultimate goal for us? If it is to be reconciled to Him, be spiritually healthy and whole, then He may allow us to experience things that aren't always easy- but will eventually lead us towards goodness. Not sure? Search for the phrases "God's of The Lord's Will" in the New Testament. You'll find that about 1/2 the verses deal with God's will and suffering. Ouch.

NOW VS. LATER
I believe that in our best (read non-selfish) moments we have much the same vision as God. Evil gets vanquished, suffering and oppression stop, people are healed (God's Kingdom). The difference in what we want and what God wants (His Will) is simply a matter of timing. We want things to be made right here and now. Although God is working on this now, it won't fully happen until later.

SELECTIVE VS. COMPLETE
Do we ask for God's will to be done every time we pray? Probably not. Why? Because we'd like to maintain some ownership of our lives as well. Jesus tells us to pray that God's Will would be done "on earth as it is in heaven". How do you think God's Will is done in heaven? Fully? Completely? Instantly? Without exception? Sounds right to me. Is that what we have in mind when we pray? Are we ready to go there?

REFLECT:
Q: When was the last time you prayed (either directly or indirectly) for God's Will to be done or made known? How about the last time you prayed for God's Kingdom to come? Do you pray more for one of these things than the other? If so, why?

Q: Do you believe that "God's Will" is that life would always be easy? How do you feel about the idea that God's Will might involve suffering? Does it make a difference for you if God makes something tough happen or just allows it to happen to us?

Q: If Jesus is our ultimate example, what does His life (and death) tell us about God's Kingdom and His Will?

Q: How do you think God's will gets done in heaven? How would our lives and prayers look differently if we started praying and wanting this?