Neville Turley

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.   For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”  John 6:38-40 (NIV)

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  In heaven the angels are fully obedient to God’s will. When we pray this petition, we are praying for God’s will to prevail here at all times and under all circumstances.

Ever since Adam and Eve, humankind has chosen to follow their own way with disastrous consequences.

Just as Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake for their disobedience to God, so man still seeks scapegoats for their own wrongdoing. Often, they blame God.

Some tragedy or mindless act of violence occurs and people attribute it to God’s will when it is the consequences of the sin and evil that infects our world and victimises innocent and guilty alike. 

It is natural to get angry when misfortune strikes us personally, but that is when we must turn to God to give us the strength and endurance to triumph over our ordeal.

The heart-wrenching prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-36) is the perfect example of obedience to the will of God.  Our Lord was blameless yet he suffered and died for our sins so that evil could be vanquished and you and I could inherit eternal life.

Prayer:  Our Father, may the Holy Spirit rid our hearts of self-will so that we may lead lives according to your will, for Jesus sake.  Amen