Praying for Our Father’s Will

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Psalm 103; Lord's Day 49
Psalters: 256, 335, 89, 283
Series: Heidelberg Catechism (2013-15)
  1. For what we pray.
    1. The will of God's command is His desire/pleasure for the conduct of His moral creatures (Romans 12:2).
      1. It is the right of the Creator to be the law-giver (James 4:12), i.e., to determine right conduct for His creatures.
      2. The angels in heaven perfectly do God’s will (Psalm 103:20,21; Isa. 6:2,3; Matt. 18:10).
    2. God’s will is revealed and known.
      1. The Bible is the revelation of God’s will – the only revelation of it, and thus is the infallible rule for obedience.
      2. Scripture does not speak to every circumstance of life: a menu order, calls, occupation, college, etc.
  2. It is necessary that we pray this petition.
    1. It implies that we also have a will, but it is always limited and dependent.
    2. First, this petition is a request for grace to deny ourselves (Matt. 16:24).
    3. To pray that the will of God's command be done is to ask for the grace of obedience.
      1. We ask for the grace to discharge our duties properly and cheerfully (reluctance is not real obedience).
      2. Those who do not do the will of Jesus’ Father will not enter the heavenly kingdom (Mattt.7:21).
  3. “As in heaven” is added to indicate what kind of obedience is being prayed for.
    1. The angels in heaven are rational moral creatures who only do God’s will.
      1. “As” refers to the kind of obedience, not to the degree of it; we lovingly desire to please our heavenly Father.
      2. While not yet perfectly delivered from sin, it is our Father’s will that we desire perfection and constantly pray for it.
    2. “Perform the duties of our station and calling.”