What does it mean to pray ‘Your Will Be Done’? - by Colin Smith

Found here. Our comments in bold.

--------------------------

When a question like this is asked, we would think that a thorough examination would include consulting the Greek for meaning, considering the context of the surrounding verses, and comparing what we discover to the whole counsel of Scripture. However, the author creates categories based on his doctrinal perspective and restricts his presentation to that. This is unfortunate, for it is a rich question worthy of deep exploration.

--------------------

Jesus taught His disciples to pray ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10). (This is the Lord's Prayer, from the Sermon on the Mount. Mt. 6:9-13:

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

We can immediately see that His will being done is connected to His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. "Come the kingdom of you be done the will of you as in heaven so also upon the earth" is the interlinear translation. The ideas are connected. The prayer to ask for the kingdom to come is for the heavenly will to be done on earth.

This implies that His will might not be happening on earth, and that the conformity of the earth to the heavenly reality is at stake and a matter worthy of prayer. Jesus obviously views the coming kingdom as being of paramount importance.

With this before us let us consider how the author presents the issue. You will find no mention of the Kingdom. You will not find a mention of the will of heaven vs. the condition of the earth in relationship to that.)

What is meant by God’s will? If you are confused about the will of God you are not alone. One reason for the confusion is that we speak of God’s will in three different ways. Distinguishing between them will help to clear the confusion and enable us to pray “Your will be done,” with greater meaning and understanding.

1. God’s Secret Will

The secret things belong to the LORD our God,
but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our
children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

(Notice this verse, used as primary evidence by the author for his first point, does not discuss God's will, but rather what God reveals, specifically, His law. The law is the revelation for the Jews, but this is not the case for us. We have a better revelation. He. 1:1-2:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...

It is this kind of sloppiness that concerns us greatly.)

Notice the important distinction that is made here between what is secret and what is revealed. What is revealed belongs to us and we must do it, but what is secret belongs to God, and we cannot know it.

What is God’s secret will? The Bible speaks about, “the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). (Again we are forced to quote the entire passage for clarity. Ep. 1:9-11:

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will...

Notice that Paul contradicts the author. This verse is not about God's secret will, but rather what was secret has been revealed: He made known the mystery of his will... This means that the secret is out, and that secret is Christ.

It's only been a couple of paragraphs and we have already found two egregious errors.)

Everything that happens is woven into the purpose of God. And nothing that happens is outside of His will. (Is this really true? Paul doesn't tell us this, and the author quoted the verse. That verse specifically says that God works things according to His purpose and will. This is quite different.)

God works all things according to the counsel of His will.

God is sovereign, so His plans always prevail. (Is this really true? The author has a penchant for making undocumented statements.

Let's define the word "will," since the author does not:

theléma, an act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires. (thélēma) is nearly always used of God, referring to His preferred-will.

The possibility of God's will being inviolate or immovable is clearly not in view in this definition.)

We see this supremely at the cross. Satan stirred up the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. (If Satan did this, how is God sovereign in the way the author describes?)

But through this, God accomplished His plan to redeem the world. (The author is grudgingly giving us clues regarding his views on sovereignty. He doesn't seem to actually believe that nothing that happens is outside of His will. Apparently things do happen outside His will, but they work out in accordance to His will.)

God’s will, by which He works out all things according to His purpose, is a wonderful comfort to Christian believers. Nothing in your life is outside of God’s purpose or beyond His control. (Is this really true? Yet another undocumented statement.)

Now, exactly how the events of our lives are woven into the Father’s plan, we cannot tell. (The author's previous certainty seems to be wavering.)

These things are ‘secret’ and the secret things belong to the Lord. They are a mystery to us, and we often find ourselves asking why? Why did You allow this in my life Lord? Why did You save her and not him? What are You doing in the coronavirus? What good can possibly come from this? (Neither of the author's cited verses, Deuteronomy 29:29 or Ephesians 1:11, come to bear on these questions.)

These are all questions about God’s secret will and the secret things belong to the Lord. (The author term-switches.)

How should we respond to God’s secret will?

We must trust God in what He has kept secret. When we see Him, what was secret will be revealed. Until then, we walk by faith and not by sight.

So here’s how you pray when you are faced with the mystery of what you don’t understand: Lord, strengthen my faith so that Your will may be done.

2. God’s Revealed Will

The secret things belong to the LORD our God,
but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our
children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

God’s revealed will is found in the Scriptures. (Undocumented statement.)

The will of God for us today is revealed in the Great Commandment: It is God’s will that we love the Lord with all our hearts and that we love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29–31).

The will of God for us today is revealed in the Great Commission: It is God’s will that we go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

The will of God for us today includes the Ten Commandments. God’s will is that you should not commit adultery even in your heart. God’s will is that you should be content. God’s will is that you should tell the truth. God’s will is that you should have no other gods before Him.

There is a marvelous snapshot of God’s will in 1 Thessalonians 5:15–18:

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Now of course God’s revealed will is not limited to verses that use the words ‘God’s will.’ All that God has called us to in Scripture is His will for us.

God’s revealed will should always be our first concern, because God will hold us accountable for our response to what He has revealed (Romans 14:12). (Sigh. Apparently there's a reason why the author only quotes snippets and not the whole thought. Here's the larger passage, Ro. 14:10-13:

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 

11 It is written: “`As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, `Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’“ [Isaiah 45:23] 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

The context is judging the weaker brother for what he eats, and causing someone to stumble by what you eat. Paul is taking this occasion to explain a principle by comparing this petty judging to the real and fearful judgment of God. Because we all will face this accounting, we should stop our petty judgments against weaker brothers.

There's nothing here regarding His revealed will. There is no mention of such a thing. The context is something else.)

But God will not hold us accountable for what He has kept secret. 

This is good news, especially if you have been worried that you might have ‘missed God’s will’ because of a bad decision in your life. God will not say to you on the last day, ‘you went to live in Alabama when you should have gone to Michigan.’ God has not revealed whether you should live in Alabama, Michigan, Illinois or anywhere else. (Undocumented statement.

The author will later claim that such things can occur regarding the discerning of His will. This presentation is growing increasingly mystifying.)

But He has revealed how you should live in Alabama, Michigan, Illinois or wherever you may be. Did you pursue the great commandment and the great commission? Did you pursue a holy life? These are the things for which we must all give an account to God.

How should we respond to God’s revealed will?

We must obey God in what He has revealed. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17).

So here’s how you pray when God’s revealed will and your desires pull in different directions: ‘Lord, give me strength to obey, so that Your will may be done.’

3. God’s Discerned Will

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

There is a will of God that can be discerned. This is neither secret nor revealed, but somewhere in between. (Undocumented statement.)

All of us make life-changing decisions and we wrestle with life-changing questions: What college should I attend? Where should I live? Should I marry and if so, who? What work should I pursue? What money should I spend, what should I save, and what should I give? What church should I join? What responsibility should I take on my shoulders?

Every time you come to a fork in the road of your life, you will find yourself asking, “What is God’s will?” But there isn’t a verse in the Bible that answers any of these questions. It is not revealed.

On the other hand, the will of God in these things is not secret or unknowable either. What is good, acceptable and perfect can be ‘discerned.’ (Hmm. Extra-biblical revelation. Is that kosher with the author's doctrine.)

And notice that we discern the will of God “by testing.” This testing involves our experience, our ability and capacity, the wisdom of others, open doors of opportunity, circumstances, the desires of our heart, etc.

We do not come to what God has revealed in Scripture and say, ‘Well let’s test this: What do other people think? Where does this fit with my experience? We open the Bible to see what God has revealed and then we rule out what God forbids and we rule in what God commands. But where God has not spoken, we must discern by testing, and so find the path of wisdom. (Undocumented statements.)

How should we respond to God’s discerned will?

We cannot test what God has kept secret. We must not test what God has revealed. We should always test what God has called us to discern.

So here’s how you pray when you are faced with a major decision:

‘Lord, help me to discern, so that Your will may be done.’

Your will be done

We need to distinguish between the three spheres of God’s will because we are called to respond to each of them in a distinct and different way. God’s secret will, we cannot know, and we must respond to the mysteries of life with faith. God’s revealed will we can know for sure, and in this we must obey. God’s discerned will, we can test and by testing we can seek and find the path of wisdom.

When we pray ‘Your will be done,’ we are asking for faith in what God has kept secret, obedience in what God has revealed, and wisdom in what God has called us to discern. (With a flourish the author closes with a false statement. This part of Lord's Prayer contains no command of faith, matters of secrecy, or obedience. The phrase is part of a petition, that something that happens in heaven would also happen on earth.

It's astonishing how the author dances around the plain statements of the Bible.)