We are considering the nature of what is termed “The Lord’s Prayer” from the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6.

‌If you haven’t noticed it yet, the way Jesus teaches us to pray, takes the focus of the soul away from ourselves, and places it back upon our God. This is by design. For when we consider ourselves first and foremost, and do not lift our eyes up to our God and Redeemer and King first, so much of our prayer can devolve into a mere self-pity session.

‌It is not that we are in any way hindered from bringing our needs to Him. Indeed, this is one of the royal gifts Christ has bestowed upon us. He has opened the door so that we may bring all to the Father, in faith, knowing His love, power, mercy, grace, compassion and tenderness toward us. But this God-first-focus draws our hearts and minds up above ourselves. It refreshes our souls and foments faith within because faith must always have an object. And when that object is the God of the universe, our trials and tribulations, as real, critical and even bearing the marks of emergency, are placed against the backdrop of His glory, and robbed of their power to overwhelm us.

‌I’ve quoted it before, but especially as we come to this 3rd petition, “your will be done as it is in heaven” – hear Thomas Aquinas: “It is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, requires that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to stir up the man in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will what the man in us wills.”

‌While at first blush praying that His will be done before we even make our desires known may seem counter-intuitive. It isn’t. Why? Because here, we begin to frame our personal desires in the most faith-filled way possible.

‌Here is the dynamic. I am bringing my pleas and petitions before Him, while at the same time recognizing that even my personal concerns are not isolated from His eternal plans and purposes. It makes me pause to consider how in salvation, He has intertwined the whole of my life with His cosmic redemptive work. So my aches, my sorrows, my confusions and my deepest felt needs, are not just about me. In prayer, I get to bring those things to Him, and ask Him to consider His answers to me in light of what He is doing in me personally, in those around me my life touches, in His Church of which I am a part, and in His fathomless plans.

‌So here is my need, now you know better than I what is wisest and best and of most use in the hallowing of your name and the advancing of your Kingdom in your answer to it. So Father, I bring it to you for the best possible disposal. Yes, I may prefer X be handled a certain way – but more – I know you love me more than I can love myself, I know you cannot sin against me, I know your wisdom is perfect and that you have only my absolute and eternal best at heart – so while I want X – YOUR will be done in this earth, in this circumstance, in this situation, the way it is done in heaven.

‌And how might we imagine His will is done in Heaven? With no opposition. With no hesitation. With the agency of the angelic hosts. With perfect wisdom. In all holiness. In all perfection and in harmony with what He has purposed for me – the greatest blessing of all – to wake in Christ’s likeness.

‌Here is the prayer of faith beloved – trusting Him to always answer better than I can ask. And with the absolute conviction, that He will!