Prayer Challenge
28 Days of Prayer
- Praying for God’s will to be done
“If he asks for a fish, will He give him a serpent?” (Matthew 7:10)
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:34)
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Devotional
Praying for God’s will to be done comes right out of The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 where it says, ”thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Prayer is getting God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. There are times when we desire our will to be done more than God’s, thinking we know what is best for us. But in Matthew 7:10, we are reminded that if we ask for a fish, He will not give us a serpent. Because He is a good Father, He will always give to us exactly what we need, in the way He sees best, and in His own time.
In John 4:34, the disciples were urging Jesus to eat and Jesus told them that his food was doing the will of the one who sent him and to accomplish his work. Unfortunately, in this broken world, we often choose to do the things that feed us in a way that will accomplish our own will and not God’s will.
Jesus in Luke 22:42 modeled how to pray for God’s will to be done, even in the most difficult circumstances. Jesus asked the Father if He was willing to remove the cup from him, knowing what he was about to face on the cross. I love the next sentence that Jesus speaks, even with the knowledge of what he was about to endure, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
Our prayer lives are about adjusting our will to the will of God. Prayer is not about changing God’s will, but as we seek God and His will, we can discover how to live. The way to learn what God wants with our lives is to pray for His will to be done.
Heavenly Father, you know all things. You are a perfect and faithful Father, and you want the best for me and all of your children. You always give us exactly what we need in your own way and your own time. Your Son taught us to pray that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Father, I pray that today I would adjust my will to your will. I pray not to change your will, but that I might discover your will, so I can live with freedom and purpose. In Jesus name, Amen.
Parent Prompt
Have you ever been to a corn maze or done a maze on a piece of paper? What makes a maze so tricky? It’s because you want to get to the end but you can’t see that far ahead.
The same thing happens in our lives. We have plans and ideas about the way our lives should go, but it doesn’t always go the way we think is best. And sometimes that leaves us feeling sad, or ignored by God. As a family talk about situations that didn’t go the way you wanted them to go. In a corn maze, right in the middle, there’s a really tall tower with someone standing on it. This person has a perfect view of the whole maze and is there for help. When you’re in the maze you have a very limited view; only seeing a little bit ahead. So you make turns that you think will get you to the end of the maze, but often times you still find yourself at a dead end or making the wrong turn. But the person in the tower can see the whole maze! Just like how God sees and knows everything. We make choices thinking they’re the right choice, but God’s plan is the only perfect plan! He is watching over us, guiding our steps, leading us to the best path.
Thank God for loving us so much that He desires the very best for us. Help us to use our prayers to listen for God’s guidance. Praying that God’s will be done in our hearts and lives.