In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ~Matthew 6:9-10
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened. ~C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce.
The Lord's Prayer. We recite it every Sunday in church. It's probably one of the first prayers we memorize as children. The words, said repeatedly, are comforting and familiar to each of us.
But the problem arises when these words become nothing more than rote when saying them out loud. We speak corporately out of habit, not taking time to reflect upon what we are actually espousing with each uttered phrase. It is, indeed, a slippery slope for Christians, young and old.
When we pray that God's will be done, do we mean it? Do we really believe it, or do we secretly think His will should be done only if it aligns with our hopes, our dreams, our expectations? If that's the case, we are confining ourselves to our own lonely, isolated perspective where we deem our needs and desires to be more important than what God wills for our lives and for the lives of those we love.
Tragically, this whole misconception leaves God and His sovereignty out of the equation altogether. That idea alone should shake us to our very core. Because the evil one craves nothing more than to work to separate us from the God we profess to love and worship. The devil sees that narcissistic chink in our armor as an opportunity to worm his way into our hearts and minds.
St. Paul proclaims in Romans 8:39 that nothing can separate us from God's love. I agree. But God created us with free will; we can choose His way or the highway at any given juncture. As C. S. Lewis states above, all that are in Hell choose it.
As we prepare here in the States to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I challenge all of you to take time to rediscover the Lord's Prayer. Examine each turn of phrase. Ask yourself if you wish for God's kingdom to reign on earth as it does in heaven, or do you prefer your own little kingdom of one to prevail?
I have no doubt you will come to the right conclusion.
Amen!
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Excellent post, Martha. That's exactly the kind of post I have in mind for the new Blog - should it happen. Please earmark this post for then. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks so much for your encouraging words here, Victor! I subscribe to a daily reading from C. S. Lewis via Bible Gateway, and this one popped up the other day. It was too good not to expound upon. Yes, I do hope you can launch that Christian blog in the new year, my friend.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Hi Martha! It has been my experience to struggle with this sometimes. I WANT God's will to be done. Least I say that. But sometimes i really want Him to agree with me. Yeah. I know. Sad. However, I think that is a common malady among many followers of Christ. "Your will be done God (as long as it agree with me)." I pray my heart and thoughts turn to truly mean what I pray. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving Day and weekend.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all guilty as charged, Bill. Humans are a selfish lot and we do like to think we're at the center of everything when that couldn't be farther from the truth. Believe me, I'll be examining my own heart just as I've challenged everyone else to do here. Happy Thanksgiving!
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What a very honest and thoughtful post, my friend. Thank you, wishing you a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by today, Linda.
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A good reminder than the Lord's prayer is meant to be prayed; it's not wallpaper for the church service liturgy.
ReplyDelete"Not wallpaper for the church service liturgy." That's such a succinct and accurate way of stating this, Glynn.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Good reminder to slow down and ponder each word we pray!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jean. Yes, this is that ramped up season when God would prefer us to slow down and be still with Him.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Happy Thanksgiving, good reflection.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Christine! Glad you enjoyed this reflection.
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I can not tell you how many times this very thought crossed my mind. I never want to allow The Lord's Prayer to become just a ritual prayer. Great post
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to know that this struck a chord with you, Shug, as you've already given it lots of thought. Yes, may we all be more mindful when we pray to our loving Father.
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Yes and Amen, Martha.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post and so true. Choosing God's will over our own is about trusting in His character and His promises as well as acknowledging His sovereignty.
It is exactly that, Debby. We should all be able to trust God because we know His character and promises. I like to sometimes say, "Father knows best," because He does.
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In the Garden of Gethsemane, even Jesus desired another way for God to accomplish his will, but of course in the end he acquiesced to his Father. When my emotions don't line up with God's actions (or what seems to be inaction), I try to follow Christ's example: "Not my will but yours be done." I may still feel out of sorts about the situation, but I DO trust that he knows what he's doing!
ReplyDeleteI love that you brought up this example of Jesus in illustrating whose will we should obey, Nancy. It sure rings true for me for me when I dare to think that anyone's will BUT God's should be done. Like you, I admit I don't always feel good about God's decision, but I'm learning to accept it nonetheless.
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Very thoughtful post, Martha. Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving and a day filled with blessings.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
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I find that so sad Martha, all that are in he'll chose it
ReplyDeleteI spoke to such an elderly gentleman today. I so pray Fred seeks Jesus soon. He made me so sad.
Shaz in Oz.x
Hearing that makes me sad, too, Shaz. May Fred find Jesus and accept Him into his heart.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
As shocking as it would seem in todays anti-Christian academic system, Martha, I learned that prayer in elementary school. Unfortunately, my family rarely went to church, but thanks to a godly 1st grade teacher, when we did go to church and were expected to repeat it, at least I knew the words. I said them not knowing what they really meant and never suspecting that the days would come when I would cherish them as one of the enduring treasures of my heart. Little did I know back then that that those words would form the context of interactions with my Heavenly Father that would open the way to life changing experiences.
ReplyDeleteDiane and I are getting ready to head off to Ohio for some priceless table fellowship with our daughters and their families for Thanksgiving. And speaking of which, your post is a sweet reminder that all of us around our table share the same Father, that that because of His sacrificial love, we're invited to gather at His table for a celebration that will never end. What a great way to begin a season of gratitude and praise. As you already know, dear friend, Diane and I are grateful for the blessings that you and Danny share with us and pray that Jesus' presence be unmistakeable as we all celebrate together all the amazing things He has done for us. Happy Thanksgiving from your TN family.
Believe it or not, Ron, I learned that prayer in first grade, too! My parents were not regular church goers (a story for another day), and this was just before Biblical instruction was stopped in public schools. Literally, I got in just under the proverbial wire!
DeleteWe, too, are expecting quite a gathering around our Thanksgiving table and we are looking forward to it. May Diane and you have safe travels and a memorable time with your family in Ohio.
Grace and blessings!
Our predominate struggle as Believers is getting off our self- made throne. His way is always the best way.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Martha!
Lulu
Our self-made throne . . . You've got it absolutely right, Lulu! It can be a fight to the finish, but isn't it much better if we surrender to God's will early on? Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Great reflection, dear Martha. God bless you 🙏 ❤️ and Happy Thanksgiving, 😊 dear friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this spoke to your heart today, Linda. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Great post, Martha! No question, every one of these declarations is powerful -- but some resonate more deeply than others.
ReplyDeleteI've not read any of C.S. Lewis but this excerpt you've shown makes me want to pick up one of his essays,
C. S. Lewis is one of my all-time favorite authors, Myra. I highly recommend Mere Christianity as a starting point if you decide to read any of his non-fiction. Of course, I still love his Narnia series and have read it repeatedly.
DeleteGrace and blessings!