The Lord's Model Prayer

What does Jesus mean when he teaches us to pray, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?

Matthew 6:10 HCSB

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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What does the word “Will” Mean?

Investigate God’s Will

Understanding the Original Word

θέλημα thelema

① what one wishes to happen, objective sense, what is willed what one wishes to bring about by one’s own action, since one has undertaken to do what one has willed (to do) my own will. What one wishes to bring about by the activity of others, to whom one assigns a task.

ⓐ gener. ἐὰν θ. ᾖ if it is his (God’s or Christ’s) will IEph 20:1; IRo 1:1 (θέλημα abs.=God’s will also ; IPol 8:1 and in Paul ; s. also b below). γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ; ; .l.; D. 8:2; τὸ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω MPol 7:1. τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ θ. τ. πέμψαντός με J 6:39f. μὴ τὸ θ. μου ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν γινέσθω . Cp. ; ; Hb 10:10 (only here in the NT w. ἐν; cp. AcPlCor 2:26). οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς ἵνα so it is not the Father’s will that (οὐκ ἔστιν θ. as ; ; ).

ⓑ what one wishes to bring about by one’s own action, since one has undertaken to do what one has willed οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θ. τὸ ἐμόν I do not aspire (to do) my own will J 5:30a; 6:38. τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ the secret purpose of God’s will, i.e. the carrying out of God’s plan of salvation . οὐκ ἦν θ., ἵνα ἔλθῃ he was not willing to come (but this passage could also belong under the abs. use of 1a).

ⓒ what one wishes to bring about by the activity of others, to whom one assigns a task.

α. of persons ὁ δοῦλος ὁ γνοὺς τὸ θ. τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ what his master wants (in a parable). τὸ θ. τοῦ πατρός .

β. of the devil εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θ. to do his will .

γ. predom. of God (or Christ) τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ (cp. Herm. Wr. 5, 7; 13, 2; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 197; TestIss 4:3, TestNapht 3:1; Just., A I, 63, 10 al.) ; ; ; ; ; ; cp. J 5:30b; 1 Cl 40:3; 56:2. θελήματι τοῦ κελεύοντος λόγου Dg 11:8. γινώσκειν τὸ θέλημα know the will ; . ἡ ἐπίγνωσις τοῦ θ. αὐτοῦ ; ποιεῖν τὸ θ. (; ; JosAs 12:3) ; ; ; J 4:34; 6:38b; 7:17; 9:31; ; Hb 10:7, 9 (both ), 36; 13:21; ; Cl 5:1; 6:7; 8:4; 9:11; 10:1; 14:1; Pol 2:2. Also ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα (; ; ) GEb121, 34; .l.; . μὴ λειποτακτεῖν (q.v.) ἀπὸ τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 1 Cl 21:4. προσέλθωμεν τῷ θ. αὐτοῦ let us heed the (Lord’s) will 33:8. ὑποτασσώμεθα τῷ θ. αὐτοῦ 34:5 (opp. ἀντιτασσόμενος 36:6; ἐναντιουμένους 61:1). εἶξαι … τῷ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ 56:1.

δ. ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα τ. σαρκός do what the flesh desires .

② the act of willing or desiring, subjective sense, will ⓐ of the human will ⓑ as a rule of the will of God (or Christ)

ⓐ of the human will () θελήματι ἀνθρώπου by an act of the human will . ἐὰν … ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων 1 Cl 14:2 if we heedlessly permit ourselves to be controlled by the will of humans ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν περὶ τ. ἰδίου θ. have control over one’s desire ; here θ. acc. to many has the connotation of sexual desire, as J 1:13 (θ. σαρκός, θ. ἀνδρός; cp. PGM 4, 1430; 1521; 1533). Of the will of an assembled crowd, directed toward the death of Jesus .

ⓑ as a rule of the will of God (or Christ) ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θ. ; ἡ εὐδοκία τοῦ θ. vs. 5 (cp. CD 3, 15). εἰ θέλοι τὸ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ if the will of God should so decree (cp. Just., D. 119, 1 θελήματι τοῦ θελήσαντος). θελήματι θεοῦ by God’s will ITr 1:1; Pol 1:3. Also διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Cl 32:3f; Χριστοῦ AcPl Ha 5, 35; also διὰ τὸ θέλημα or ἐν τ. θελήματι τ. θεοῦ ; ἐν θ. θεοῦ 1 Cl 49:6; AcPl Ha 7, 13; AcPlCor 2:26; cp. 1 Cl ins; IEph ins, or ἐκ θελήματος θεοῦ (cp. ) 1 Cl 42:2; πρὸς τὸ θ. according to (the master’s) will Hs 9, 5, 2. Also κατὰ τὸ θ. () ; ; ; IPhld ins; ; Cl 20:4; Hm 12, 6, 2; MPol 2:1 (Just., D. 85, 4 al.).—DELG s.v. ἐθέλω. M-M. TW.

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 447.

“βούλομαι,” Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, paragraph 1022.

① what one wishes to happen, objective sense, what is willed

Thelēma is usually directly translated as “will”—“the will of God”—but the English word “will” sublimates the primary meaning. Thelēma is primarily an emotional word and secondarily volitional. “God’s will” is not so much “God’s intention” as it is “God’s heart’s desire.”

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. θέλημα

what one wishes to bring about by one’s own action, since one has undertaken to do what one has willed οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θ. τὸ ἐμόν I do not aspire (to do) my own will J 5:30a; 6:38. τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ the secret purpose of God’s will, i.e. the carrying out of God’s plan of salvation Eph 1:9. οὐκ ἦν θ., ἵνα ἔλθῃ he was not willing to come 1 Cor 16:12 (but this passage could also belong under the abs. use of 1a).

ⓒ what one wishes to bring about by the activity of others, to whom one assigns a task.

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William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 447.

Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words, Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2000), paragraph 4326.

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1 Corinthians 16:12 HCSB

About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.

1 cor

1 Peter 3:17 HCSB

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

1 pet

Matthew 7:21 HCSB

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Ephesians 2:3 HCSB

We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

Describe in your own words what does “thelema” or will mean.

So, what does it mean for us to pray for His will?

It includes his righteous call to obedience.

Psalm 103:20 HCSB

Praise the Lord, all His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command.

Matthew 7:21 HCSB

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Matthew 12:50 HCSB

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”

Psalm 40:8 HCSB

I delight to do Your will, my God; Your instruction lives within me.”

It includes the fulfilling of events related to salvation.

Matthew 18:14 HCSB

In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Matthew 26:42 HCSB

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

Acts 2:14 HCSB

But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.

What is the Enemy of God’s Will?

Romans 6:16–18 HCSB

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey —either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

So, why does Jesus to tell us to pray for God’s will?

How do we find God’s Will?

Romans 12:1–2 HCSB

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Some Reflection Questions

When you think about submission, what is you immediate reaction?

What are submitting experiences that you have had?

Wh is an example of someone who knows how to practice healthy biblical submission?

How has this person influenced you?

Pondering this Week

Do you have a submissive temperament? Why or why not?

Who today do you submit to in the normal events of your life— boss, teachers, parents, colleagues, friends, spouse?

What does healthy submission look like in each of these relationships?

Pray for grace in these relationships.

Consider a character flaw you would like to have transformed in your life.

What spiritual discipline might help you cooperate with God in his transforming work?

Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us (Kindle Locations 3038-3042). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Willingly practice this discipline for a stipulated period of time.

Submit your process to a trusted friend.

What is this like for you?