Dealing with the Stalemate of Praying for God’s Will
“While evangelicals have for the most part correct Christian beliefs, for far too many these beliefs lie largely at the periphery of their existence rather than at the center of their identity…. No apprentice will become like his teacher if he does not respect the authority of that teacher to direct the apprentice’s life and activities.”[1]
J. P. Moreland & W. L. Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview
For several years I wondered, and to some extent struggled, with understanding what we could – or should – be praying for (regarding supplication) if our top priority is God’s will. For instance, should I pray for a friend’s healing if it was not God’s intention? It may be God’s will for someone close to the sick friend to learn, grow, or even come to faith through their suffering or experience. Knowing that His ways are higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9) and that it is God’s wisdom rather than man’s that we should pursue (cf. 1 Cor. 3:18-20), I concluded God knows best, and our will should be His. The dilemma, though, was that, as God always knows best, why bother sharing my thoughts and desires? Why present a potentially wrong answer to the Teacher (Matt. 23:10; Luke 18:18-19; John 13:13; cf. 1 Cor. 1:12-13) when we know they always have the right one? Why not just ‘look up the answers’ and ‘get them right’ from the beginning? Save yourself the pain of/from being wrong and do as Christ instructs: pray for His will rather than our own (Matt. 6:10).
For me, I often stumbled on the issue of connecting with God about what I wanted to see happen while at the same time praying for His will and considered it somewhat of a stalemate. My heart was usually in the right place, but it was hard to present prayers for our will that desired specific results when we were explicitly instructed to pray for His will rather than our own. The typical answer I got from asking others about this query was that God cares, and our prayers may impact His will to provide blessing and relief. While this is very true, the answer was partial, and the logic and concept remained unclear. If any of you has encountered the same conundrum, I hope the post below provides some clarity and resolution, as my intention is to highlight the absence of any stalemate. It is more of a checkmate case: God wins, and so we win!
What is God’s Will?
The Definition
It is important to understand that God’s “will” (in English) has two denotations. The first is the noun, which is “the faculty by which [God] decides on and initiates action” (Oxford, 2004). An example of this would be when Jesus healed the Centurion’s slave in Matt. 8:5-13 and Luke 7:2-10. The second denotation focuses on the desire and intention of God; His power is not in question, but there is a way that God desires people to act out of their own free will. Will people act in a way that pleases God or not? This secondary meaning is that which the Lord’s Prayer focuses on.
The Lord’s Prayer
Most commentators will examine the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 and connect the first and second groups of three petitions. The first three petitions in verses 9-10 “focus on God and the realization of His sovereign will on earth” (Chouinard, 1997), and the second three refer more to human needs. The connections among the first three are important for correctly understanding God’s will in the Lord’s Prayer. The first petition prays for people to recognise and acknowledge the holiness of God by giving His name the reverence that it is due (cf. Isa. 29:23). The reverence of God’s name was of significant importance to the Jewish people and a common concern of the prophets (e.g. Isa. 48:11; 52:5-6; Ezek. 20:8-9; 36:20-23). The second petition asks for the submission of other people to His sovereignty (something He already holds). Continuing this theme, the third petition prays for obedience to God’s will in acknowledgement of His authority. As France (2007) notes, “Doing the will of God” is for Matthew a potent summary of the disciple life” (p. 247).
When we look at Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer (11:1-4), we see a slightly less liturgical wording that is simpler to understand and more direct. However, it intriguingly excludes an explicit prayer for God’s will! Teaching about prayer, Luke 11:1-13 reads,
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:*
“Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
3 Give us each day the food we need,*
4 and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.*”
5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.*
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “You fathers—if your children ask* for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (NLT)
See yourselves as the one asking for three loaves. Persistence in prayer is critical to our prayer life and relationship with God. If a request is always only mentioned once and immediately answered, then there is no journey; this is not a shared experience, there are no trials, and character, endurance, wisdom and strength are not built, developed or grown. Additionally, gratefulness can also disappear, as well as the personal nature of the adventure in the answering of prayers.
It is not uncommon to hear verses 9-10 used out of context. Readers will often interpret the text as implying that believers will receive everything they request from God if they ‘just pray hard enough’. To clarify, there is an assumption that the prayers of believers are in alignment with God’s will (see Luke 22:42). Additionally, the context of this passage narrows the promised blessings to the “good gifts”, which are associated with the reception of the Holy Spirit (v. 13). The point is, as Black (1995) states, “that God does indeed promise his most important blessings to those who persistently seek them.” Some examples of such desires are serving others, loving enemies, being humble, and rejoicing in suffering. These are the kinds of things that, among other kingdom priorities, are guaranteed to fervent believers who continually seek them.
Another critical detail to appreciate is the role of the Father in teaching prayer. While there is the acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty in verse 2, it opens with us praying to the Father. It then also finishes with an illustration of the Father. With our Father in Heaven, we have a perfect father figure who cares so greatly about and for us, and He has provided the greatest gift in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is far greater than the gifts of food and shelter given to us by our parents. It is a unique and personal gift from God. It is His presence within us. It is a sign of the superseding and redeeming covenant, showing that Christ has enabled eternal salvation for us (cf. Heb. 9:8-28); His intention for our inclusion in His Kingdom has been made evident (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; John 3:5-7; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 2:6-15; 1 Pet. 3:21; etc.). Additionally, our fruit that stems from the work and power of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23) assists in enabling happiness and the provision of needs for both ourselves and others, as do any potential gifts God may choose to bless us with (cf. 1 Cor 12:1-29; Rom. 12:3-8; Eph. 2:17-22; 4:11-16, 25).
What about God’s will in Luke?
But what about the will of God in Luke? This is left out completely! Luke illustrates this fantastically in Jesus’ prayer of Gethsemane, where He prays, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” This is at the centre of a chiasm (shown below), which naturally emphasizes its importance.
A “Pray not to enter into temptation” (v. 40)
B Jesus separates from the disciples to pray alone (v. 41)
C Jesus prays in agony (vv. 42–44)
B1 Jesus returns from prayer to the sleeping disciples (v. 45)
A1 “Pray not to enter into temptation” (v. 46) (Edwards, 2015, p. 642)
An Exercise
In reading the passage below, I encourage you to take some time to analyse, pray, meditate, search and reflect on what Jesus illustrates for us as an example of how to pray.
39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”
41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.*
45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46, NLT)
As Edwards stated, “Prayer is not a mysterious burden but an inter-relational adventure with God, with Jesus as one’s example and companion” (p. 338)
Circumventing/Cancelling the Stalemate
The Theme of Unity and Obedience
It is important to appreciate the unity and kinship we share with God. Genesis shows that we were made in His image (1:27). In the Garden of Eden, His will was always to be with and around us (Gen. 3:8; cf. Lev. 26:12; Deut. 23:14), and it was just that sin severed this relationship (Gen. 3:1-24). Throughout the Old Testament, there is a longing for unity of will and purpose like that presented in the Lord’s Prayer. When Israel is about to enter the Promised Land, Moses instructs His people with a similar message, saying,
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.a 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblemb on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, NRSV)
Throughout the Old Testament, we find that while Israel did not show the complete faithfulness instructed, God continued to show His love and devotion. His commitment is pictured well in the book of Hosea, which portrays Israel as the unfaithful wife. Later, after unfaithfulness and disregard of God’s instruction, we also find Judah being conquered and exiled by Babylon (this happened in three stages in 605 BC, 597 BC and 587/6 BC). God still presents the hope of a great and everlasting kingdom that will reign (e.g. Dan. 2:44; Psa. 145:11-13) with our Messiah and Redeemer in Jesus Christ. Jesus powerfully emphasised His desire for the unity of believers with God and each other in John 17:20-26. Paul stresses the importance of constant prayer (e.g. 1 Thes. 5:17; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2), the unity of the body (e.g. Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-31), ourselves as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), and the covenant of the Holy Spirit with Christ as the High Priest (Heb. 7:1-8:13), highlighting the point even further.
Who Is the Teacher and Who Is the Student?
We must understand that while our prayers to God communicate what He already knows, there is nothing He does not know! We are not informing God of issues He is unaware of, but sharing our desires, struggles and experiences with Him. We are looking to learn and grow, and so looking to attain and develop the lens through which we can see the world, our lives, Himself, and the lives of others as He wants us to.
Think of it like playing a game of chess with a master down in the community gardens. There is no chance of beating them, but there is still a purpose in playing the game. You learn! You grow as a player, and you build your relationship. Actually, I wonder if it is a bit more like a game of Settlers of Catan. There is thought, analysis, and strategy involved, relationships to build, and the element of chance! If you win, it is not entirely because of you, and if you lose, it is not either; there is a bigger picture, more players, more uncertainties, more moves made, and greater potential for mercy or making things personal.
Priorities
We must pray to God for and about ourselves and issues of importance to us. While it is true that His will is of ultimate significance, if we pray solely for His will and do not share our difficulties or concerns, then the relationship suffers. While praise and worship are important to God, as an omniscient and omnipotent being, I do not think they are important to Him for the purposes of ego. It is more about the love we communicate to Him from our free will and our continuing to thankfully and reverently choose, see, and follow His greatness, values and ways. Supplication adds to this devotion as we share what is on our hearts and minds. Our constant prayers and communication with God allow our relationship with Him to grow. It will enable us to ensure He is always on our hearts and, with that, an opportunity for Him through the Spirit to shape our ways of thinking and viewing things. Remember our objective: to love and serve God, pursuing His will with a standard of righteousness. It is key to understand that it is not about God serving us, as we pursue our own wills and ways!
Conclusion/Summary
The dilemma of praying for God’s will (with its potential for conflict with our own) is solved primarily by understanding the meaning of loving God with all our heart, soul, and might (Deut. 6:5). When we prioritise God – giving Him the glory He is due – and allow Him to shape and use us, then there is no conundrum. God already knows everything, so there is nothing to teach Him. There are wants and needs, which are relevant to share with Him, but whether you receive what you ask for is not the pertinent point. It is that you share your life with God, and you know He loves and cares for you and others as you do about Him and others.
It is not so much about giving God the correct answer when we pray. Nor is it about asking exactly the right number of times. It is more about sharing what is in your heart. It is about sharing your will and lovingly and respectfully sharing how you see things, letting Him shape, grow and teach you as you serve Him and learn from the trials of yourself and others.
[1] Moreland, J. P., & Craig, W. L. (2017). Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (2nd Edition, p. 7). IVP Academic.
* 11:2 Some manuscripts add additional phrases from the Lord’s Prayer as it reads in Matt 6:9–13.
* 11:3 Or Give us each day our food for the day; or Give us each day our food for tomorrow.
* 11:4 Or And keep us from being tested.
* 11:8 Or in order to avoid shame, or so his reputation won’t be damaged.
* 11:11 Some manuscripts add for bread, do you give them a stone? Or [if they ask].
* 22:43–44 Verses 43 and 44 are not included in the most ancient manuscripts.
a Or The Lord our God is one Lord, or The Lord our God, the Lord is one, or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one
b Or as a frontlet
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