Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10b)

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the phrase, the “Will of God.” A natural disaster destroying an impoverished community? A loved one being diagnosed with a terminal disease? An unprovoked hardship occurring at the worst possible time? Why is it that the “Will of God” is usually attributed to some unexplainable catastrophe? Some theologians think it relates to Jesus' “thy will be done” prayer in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42) right before he was arrested, beaten, and crucified. Yeah. That could leave a bad taste in your mouth.

But what about the sunrise? The birth of your first child? A happenstance encounter with a stranger that turns into a life-long friend? Isn't that the “Will of God” too? It's funny how when you're king of the world you celebrate your victory, but when the Titanic sinks you can't figure out why “God works in mysterious ways.” Look at the full verse, it's a comparison of God's will on earth to his will in heaven. Doesn't his will in heaven make it a perfect place? Wouldn't you want that on earth?

A key to understanding the confusing flow of God's will is to remember he's looking at the big picture while you've got your nose pressed against the canvas. Take the Book of Job for example. Nowadays, he's a go-to example for faith in God in all situations. Did Job know this when he lost all of his wealth, most of his family died except his nagging wife, and his body was covered in boils so bad that he scraped himself with shards of pottery to take his mind off the pain? Nope. While Job did bounce back better than ever, he would never know that his true purpose was to inspire people millenia after his death.

Following the will of God is a call to action for you to take part in his perfect plan. Be forewarned that his tasks will be bigger than you think you can handle. But he's gonna help. This prayer is your request for assistance.

In conclusion of the “thy petitions,” we are praying to (1) know God, (2) submit to his perfect authority, and (3) follow his lead in action. With that, we've properly lined ourselves up for the rest of the prayer. You don't want to take off perpendicular to the runaway or else you'll crash into the terminal.

If you've gotten yelled at by a museum security guard for getting too close to the art: