THY WILL BE DONE: THE ONE PRAYER THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE

Do you want to see the power of prayer in your life? Are you weary of praying ineffective and weak prayers? Try praying the way that Jesus taught us to pray. The one prayer will change everything in your life: Thy Will Be Done.

THY WILL BE DONE PRAYER IN THE BIBLE

If you recognize the words, “Thy will be done,” it is because it is one of the first verses of one of the most recognized prayers: The Lord’s Prayer. Some of you may also know it as the Our Father Prayer.

When Jesus was teaching his followers how to pray, this is the prayer He gave them.

Here are the first two verses of the prayer in different Bible translations:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.“

Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV)

 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.“

Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV)

Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.“

Matthew 6:9-10 (NLT)

With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.

Matthew 6:9-10 (MSG)

THY WILL BE DONE PRAYER MEANING

Although the entire Lord’s Prayer is worthy of a deep dive study and so instrumental as a template for our prayer lives, we will focus the on the simple command found in Luke 6:10a:

• “Thy will be done…”
• “Your will be done…”
• “May your will be done…”
• “Do what is best…”

The profound phrase is powerful for three reasons:

The kingdom of God can be defined as the effective rule and reign of Jesus. Although we exist in what theologians refer to as “the already/not yet” kingdom of God,  God is actively working to establish His kingdom and push back the forces of evil that exist in the kingdoms of this world. When we pray, “thy will be done,” we ask God to usher in His light of love, mercy, and goodness to dispel the darkness of hate, oppression, and destruction.

PRAYER POINTS FOR PRAYING THY WILL BE DONE

One of the interesting things to note is that Jesus, who teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done, used this prayer himself. When in the deepest, darkest agony of his soul, crying out to God in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before his crucifixion, he prayed:

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” ~Matthew 26:39 (ESV)

There are some simple yet profound prayer points we can learn from Jesus’ posture of prayer.

• Ask God for what you want. Be specific, clear, and honest. It is okay to cry out with anguish.
• Submit to God’s answer even if it is not what you prayed for or wanted.
• Obey willingly, knowing that surrendering to God will never take you outside of His love, care, and protection.

3 WAYS PRAYING THY WILL BE DONE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

We learned that praying “thy will be done” includes our petition, participation, and position. But as we practice our posture in prayer before God, we can also reap incredible benefits that will change our lives.

1) PRAYING “THY WILL BE DONE” CHANGES MY PERSPECTIVE

Remember that when we pray for God’s will to be done, we also pray for His kingdom to come. Focusing on God’s kingdom instead of our world completely changes our perspective. We become eternity-minded and can view our circumstances in a different light. It does not mean that we will not suffer pain, doubt, and disappointment, but that we will be able to see that God is working all things to usher in His kingdom, and we can be a part of that.

2) PRAYING “THY WILL BE DONE” CHANGES MY ATTITUDE

Praying for God’s will is not a magic formula where if we say the right words in the right order, God gives us what we want. Instead, it is surrendering control to an all-knowing and all-loving God. It is laying down our pride and selfishness and accepting that God knows better than we do. And when we do this, our attitude changes because we are free from trying to manipulate outcomes or control others. We have complete trust in God’s purposes and plans even when we cannot fully understand them.

3) PRAYING “THY WILL BE DONE” CHANGES MY HEART FOR OTHERS

Instead of praying for a person to change or act the way we want them to, praying for God’s will allows God to do what He wants in their lives. I have repeatedly told my children that I pray that God would fulfill His purpose in their lives because I know that the safest place they can be is in the center of His will. However, in praying this, I again have to relinquish control. When you pray for God to move in the life of someone, it gives you a heart of mercy, compassion, and tenderness towards them. It is entrusting them to the One who knows and loves them best.

THE DIVINE WILL PRAYER

In the book, The Valley of Vision, I found this Puritan prayer simply titled, “Thy Divine Will.” I hope you can use it as I do to come to the Lord asking for His will to be done.

O LORD,

I hang on thee; I see, believe, live,

when thy will, not mine, is done;

I can plead nothing in myself

in regard to any worthiness and grace,

in regard of thy providence and promises,

but only thy good pleasure.

If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!

Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for future mercies;

Help to honour thee by believing before I feel,

for great is the sin if I make feeling the cause of faith.

Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,

by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,

by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;

Strengthen me to pray with the conviction

that whatever I receive is thy gift,

so that I may pray until prayer be granted;

Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise

from several degrees of prayer,

that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,

as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,

and by thy grace become fully obedient.

Below is a printable of this prayer that you can download and print. I hope it will be a useful resource in your prayer life.

LEARNING TO PRAY TOGETHER

Another helpful thing we can do while we learn to pray “thy will be done” is to encourage and support each other. And that is what we do here AT THE CROSSROADS! Surrendering our will to God is not always easy and takes consistent practice, so I invite you to use this as a space to ask questions, seek godly counsel, and share your struggles.

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If this post spoke to you in any way, would you mind leaving a comment, sharing it on social media, or even letting a friend know? I also want this to be an interactive community where we learn and grow together, so if you have a prayer tool that has deepened your prayer life, please share it in the comments below.

My heart is to help as many people connect faith and life in practical, purposeful, and powerful ways. And I would love to have you along for the journey!