And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for you Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:7-13

Your will be done. Those are words many may not like to hear uttered in a time of prayer. Matthew 6:9-13 is such a rich prayer, covering the areas that Jesus deemed important in life when seeking God in prayer. He reminds us of our relationship with the Father as we come to Him in our time of need. He reminds us of His holiness and that our desire is to be for His Kingdom to come. He instructs us to ask for provision and forgiveness, while we equally forgive others. He tells us to ask for help in not succumbing to temptation. Many take no issue with all of these areas mentioned but praying that His will be done may bring a pause to some due to past teaching that to pray God’s will be done is a prayer of doubt and unbelief. When it came for the appointed time to drink the cup of God’s wrath, Jesus Himself prayed in the garden the Father’s will be done rather than His own (Luke 22:42). Why are we afraid to pray according to God’s will? Perhaps it is due to our lack of control in the hands of the Sovereign God, and the realization that we are not as powerful as we once thought or believed.

It is a rather embarrassing thing to admit, but there was a time when I did not know how to pray as a believer. For years, I thought I knew how to pray with power and authority, scaring the devil away as I exerted strength through my decrees and declarations in prayer meetings and in my private time. I believed the devil was afraid of me, and I believed that as long as I watched the power of my words, nothing could happen that I did not allow with my declarations. To some, that may sound shocking. As I write this, it grieves me to even write those statements. It was all I had known, and it was not until our family was faced with trying times that I realized how bankrupt I was in understanding Biblical prayer and how much I needed the Lord to teach me how to pray.

It became evident in a time after we had exited the hyper charismatic movement. Drastic things happened in our family, some good things and some quite challenging and frightening things. It was in the trying times that God helped me to learn how to pray. In my weakness and repentance before Him, He was merciful. When I read Scripture, I struggled to find an example of decreeing and declaring. Instead, I found passages that talked about bringing your petitions and supplications to God and thanking Him while resting in His peace (Philippians 4:4-7). I was encouraged to pray without ceasing and to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, Romans 12:12) God tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). He never promised we would not have cares or that we would go through life without trials and hardships, but He did promise that He would never leave us or forsake us.

There were many moments where I believed that if we had not left the movement or come out from under our spiritual covering, none of the things happening to us would have happened. It was a lie of manipulation and control buried deep down within. But to believe such a thing denied the sovereignty of God, and essentially, it made me the captain of my ship. It was like a prison cell holding me in bondage. The Word of God was the key to the cell door. It was in the darkest of times that God set me free from such bondage. In His sovereignty, I began to understand the beauty of His sovereignty.

I remember being petrified to utter, “Your will be done, Lord.” I was taught not to pray that way. Praying such a thing was weakness. Saying those words brought the unknown to the forefront, and it continues to do so. But I know God is not in the dark about what He has ordained. He knows what is best for His children. He knows what will conform us to His image and what will hinder our growth. I appreciate what Costi Hinn has to say about prayer, “God in His sovereignty uses our prayers as a means to accomplish his sovereign will.”

Maybe you are one of those who heard for years not to pray the Lord’s will be done. I hope to encourage you in knowing that praying according to the will of God is Biblical, and it demonstrates obedience to God in His instruction. We are dependent upon God, and in the moments, we are brought to our knees, we are continuously reminded of our utter need for Him. Thank God for His sovereignty. Prayer is a vital area of our fellowship with the Lord. We want His will, even when it is not what we would have chosen for ourselves.

Listen to this episode as we take a look at two teachings on prayer: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: Teach Us How to Pray on Apple Podcasts