ST. LUKE 11:2 (NKJV)

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

DO WE MEAN THE WORDS WE PRAY?

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. St. Luke 11:2 (NKJV)

Have you ever seriously asked yourself the question, “Do I really mean what I pray?” Certainly you would answer, “Yes,” when you would be praying in time of pain, illness or sorrow, as death draws near or has already taken a loved one.

But what about other times? I have many times asked people the question, When you pray the common table prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest,” do you visualize or even think about the possibility that you have invited Jesus to sit at the table with you AND that He is there as your unseen guest?

When you pray The Lord’s Prayer and pray “Hallowed be The Name?” do you really mean that or do you soon take His Name in vain? This could be anything from cursing or swearing to using the phrase, “O my God” in disgust or gladness without any thought of God having anything to do with what is happening?

For the purpose of this devotion, we look at the petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

If all Christians are very sincere about praying these words, then why:

• Are there so many people homeless and hungry? That is certainly not God’s will.

• Is there so much crime that people are often afraid to go out at night or to work in a business that is open during the dark hours of a night? That is certainly not God’s Will.

• Is it that there are so many deaths caused by drugs, alcohol, misuse of cell phones, speed and other preventable causes? This is certainly not God’s Will.

• Is there so much domestic violence? That certainly is not God’s Will.

• Is there so much division and dissension in so many Christian Congregations and Denominations? This certainly is not God’s Will.

It would be good if you would pause here and on a sheet of paper continue this list with other things that you see wrong in the world that are not God’s Will.

To switch from the negative to the positive side of this Devotion I want to share with you a quotation concerning the prayer, “Thy Will be done” from one of the great Reformers of the Christian Church, John Calvin. He said, “The substance of the prayer is that God would enlighten the world by the light of His Word, would form the hearts of men by the influence of His Spirit, and would restore to order, by the gracious exercise of His Power, all the disorder that exists in the world.”

The question then becomes one of not can God do it, but one of Do we really want His Will to be done? Are we willing to make the sacrifices and changes that would be needed in our lives in order that we can seek to do His Will?

An immediate response might be, “What good will it do; what can one person do?” The problem here is that we are not thinking the right way. It is not “what can we do.” It should be “what can God do” with each of us and our actions of faith if we seek to do His Will. We can’t even begin to imagine what changes can come to our homes, our churches, our schools, our business and industry, our government and yes, even to our world if you and then another and still another pray seriously and fervently that “Thy Will be done.”

In the coming days, months or years, whatever time I have left on this earth, I want to share with you RAMBLING THOUGHTS and DEVOTIONS to help you BEGIN AGAIN as you daily pray and live that God’s Will be done.

Do you really mean the words you pray when you pray, “Thy Will be done?”

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, so often I do not understand what I am praying for when I pray “Thy Will be done.” Open my heart when I read your Holy Word and then open my eyes so that I can see where often I am part of the reason that Your Will is not being done. Teach me Thy Ways, O Lord, and lead me in Your Path that I may follow you that Your Will might be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. AMEN.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Each of us should have no trouble examining our lives and seeing ways in which we are not doing as God would have us do. Just take one of those areas and pray about it on a regular basis. Mornings, evenings and any time you have an extra minute or two. Do this every day and you might be surprised what will happen. If you want, talk about it with a friend. You can even send me a note and i will give you whatever support I can. Just remember that this is for a change in you and not a try to change someone else.