Overview
This devotional explores the meaning of praying for God's will to be done, as taught in the Lord's Prayer, distinguishing between God's decretive and preceptive wills and encouraging believers to desire and delight in obedience.
Understanding God's Will in Prayer
- Jesus instructs believers to pray for God's will to be done as part of the Lord's Prayer.
- This request is connected to seeking the coming of God's kingdom, characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- Scripture indicates that God's will, in a sovereign sense (decretive will), is always accomplished.
- The decretive will includes all that God ordains in creation, even events hidden from human understanding.
- God's preceptive will refers to His moral commands and what is pleasing to Him (e.g., the Ten Commandments).
- People regularly violate God's preceptive will, but such actions do not thwart God's ultimate sovereign purposes.
- Even evil acts, such as Christ's crucifixion, can be part of God's decretive will though they violate His preceptive will, serving greater goods like salvation and God's glory.
Implications for Believers
- Praying for God's will to be done primarily means asking for obedience to His preceptive will.
- The prayer goes beyond duty, expressing a desire for heartfelt, willing service and delight in God's commands.
- God desires that obedience flows from contentment and joy, not mere obligation.
- By God’s grace, believers grow in willingness to obey even when it is difficult.
Recommendations / Advice
- Pray for God to make you increasingly willing and joyful in obeying His will each day, not just out of duty.