Have you ever struggled to accept God’s will? Have you ever treated it as something imposed upon you that you knew you should want, but didn’t?
It’s one of the big reasons why people don’t ask to know God’s will. They’re afraid they won’t like it.
It might sound like backtracking, but it’s difficult to want God’s will if you haven’t asked His kingdom to come into your life. Jesus knew that order mattered. If his disciples lived and breathed God’s kingdom, God’s will was dessert, not vegetables.
Wanting God’s will is the first step in knowing what His will is. Some get that order backwards. They ask for God’s will for review. Then, if it fits with their plans, they’ll accept it. If not, they add another mark to their list of why God doesn’t really understand them and they keep doing what they think is best.
Praying for God’s will is a decision to accept it and obey it. It is a prayer that has already settled the issue that God’s will surpasses yours. That doesn’t mean there’s no struggle accepting it.
Remember Jesus and his Gethsemane prayer? There was tension in that garden. Jesus wrestled with God’s will hoping God would give him an easier way to accomplish the same goal. But it wasn’t possible. Jesus didn’t fight against God’s will; he was fighting to accept it. Big difference!
If the word will trips you up, pray for God’s wisdom. It’s the same thing. What God wills for you is wise beyond your knowing.
Another way to strengthen this prayer in your life is to pray it in the small choices in life and learn how God directs you. Learning what happens when you obey God’s nudge about anything gives you many new reasons to trust His will in the big decisions.
God’s will is the purest expression of His love in your daily life. God’s will is His investment in your wholeness and future. God’s will is His adventure for you.
This week, pray the tandem prayer: Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Pray it for your day, your family, your work, your priorities. Don’t ever separate them. See how praying them makes you want them more and more.
