Aligning Our Lives with God's Will

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting in God's Sovereign Mystery

God's secret will is a profound mystery that invites us to trust in His sovereign plans, even when we cannot comprehend them. This aspect of God's will encompasses the hidden purposes and plans that He orchestrates in the universe. As humans, we often desire to understand every detail of our lives, but God's secret will reminds us that some things are beyond our understanding. Jesus exemplified this trust when He submitted to the Father's will, even when it led to the cross. In our own lives, we are called to embrace faith in the face of uncertainty, resting in the assurance that God's purposes are always good. [06:36]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling to trust God's unseen work? How can you actively choose to trust Him today, even without full understanding?

Day 2: Seeking Wisdom in Daily Decisions

God's discerned will involves the choices we make in our everyday lives, which require wisdom and discernment. While these decisions may not be explicitly outlined in Scripture, God provides guidance through His Spirit, wise counsel, and the circumstances we encounter. This discernment is a journey of faith, where we learn to align our choices with God's desires. As we navigate life's complexities, we are encouraged to seek God's guidance through prayer and reflection, trusting that He will lead us in the right direction. [12:48]

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: What decision are you currently facing that requires discernment? How can you seek God's wisdom and guidance in this situation today?

Day 3: Embracing Obedience to God's Revealed Will

God's revealed will is clearly outlined in Scripture, providing us with commandments and teachings that guide our conduct and relationships. Our response to this aspect of God's will is obedience, as we seek to live according to His Word. This obedience is not burdensome but a path to true joy and fulfillment, as we align our lives with His purposes. By loving God and our neighbors, pursuing holiness, and engaging in the Great Commission, we find a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction. [18:59]

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." (John 14:21, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a specific commandment or teaching from Scripture that you find challenging to obey? How can you take a step towards obedience in this area today?

Day 4: Following the Heavenly Model of Obedience

The model for doing God's will is found in heaven, where angels obey fully, gladly, and immediately. On earth, Jesus exemplifies this obedience, embracing the Father's will with joy and love, even when it meant bearing the cross. As we pray "Your will be done," we commit to following Jesus' example, seeking to do God's will with the same wholehearted devotion. This commitment requires us to surrender our own desires and align ourselves with God's purposes, trusting that His plans are for our good and His glory. [26:34]

"Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!" (Psalm 103:20, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to obey God fully and gladly? How can you begin to model your obedience after the angels and Jesus today?

Day 5: Aligning Our Prayers with God's Will

Prayer is not about getting God to do our will but aligning ourselves with His will. As we pray "Your will be done," we commit to seeking His purposes above our own, trusting that His plans are always for our good and His glory. This perspective shifts our focus from our desires to God's greater plan, inviting us to participate in His work on earth. By aligning our prayers with God's will, we open ourselves to the transformative power of His Spirit, allowing Him to shape our hearts and lives according to His purposes. [39:53]

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (1 John 5:14, ESV)

Reflection: How can you shift your prayer focus from your own desires to seeking God's will? What specific prayer can you offer today that aligns with His purposes?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of the Lord's Prayer, we focus on the third petition: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This petition invites us to align our lives with God's will, which is expressed in three distinct ways: God's secret will, God's discerned will, and God's revealed will. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for our spiritual journey.

God's secret will encompasses the mysteries of His sovereign plans, which are beyond our comprehension. We are called to trust Him, even when we cannot see the full picture. This trust is exemplified in the life of Jesus, who submitted to the Father's will, even when it led to the cross. In our lives, this means embracing faith in the face of uncertainty, knowing that God's purposes are always good.

God's discerned will involves the decisions we make in our daily lives. While not explicitly revealed in Scripture, these decisions require wisdom and discernment. We are encouraged to seek God's guidance through prayer, wise counsel, and the testing of circumstances. This discernment is a journey of faith, where we learn to align our choices with God's desires.

God's revealed will is clearly outlined in Scripture. It includes the commandments and teachings that guide our conduct and relationships. Our response to God's revealed will is obedience. We are called to love God and our neighbors, to pursue holiness, and to engage in the Great Commission. This obedience is not burdensome but a path to true joy and fulfillment.

The model for doing God's will is found in heaven, where angels obey fully, gladly, and immediately. On earth, Jesus is our ultimate example. He embraced the Father's will with joy and love, even when it meant bearing the cross. As we pray "Your will be done," we commit to following Jesus' example, seeking to do God's will with the same wholehearted devotion.

Key Takeaways

1. God's secret will is a mystery that requires our trust. We may not understand His plans, but we can rest in the assurance that He is sovereign and His purposes are good. In times of uncertainty, we pray for faith to trust in His unseen work. [06:36]
2. God's discerned will involves making wise decisions in our lives. We are not alone in this journey; God provides guidance through His Spirit, wise counsel, and our circumstances. We pray for discernment and wisdom to align our choices with His desires. [12:48]
3. God's revealed will is clearly outlined in Scripture. Our response is obedience, as we seek to live according to His commandments and teachings. This obedience leads to true joy and fulfillment, as we align our lives with His purposes. [18:59]
4. The model for doing God's will is found in heaven, where angels obey fully, gladly, and immediately. On earth, Jesus exemplifies this obedience, embracing the Father's will with joy and love. We pray for the strength to follow His example. [26:34]
5. Prayer is not about getting God to do our will but aligning ourselves with His will. As we pray "Your will be done," we commit to seeking His purposes above our own, trusting that His plans are always for our good and His glory. [39:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
[01:09] - Beginning with God's Glory
[01:54] - Focus on the Third Petition
[02:40] - Understanding God's Will
[03:27] - God's Secret Will
[05:09] - Comfort in God's Sovereignty
[07:11] - Trusting God's Secret Will
[08:23] - God's Discerned Will
[10:13] - Seeking Wisdom in Decisions
[12:48] - Praying for Discernment
[13:10] - God's Revealed Will
[15:32] - Living Out God's Will
[18:59] - Obedience to God's Revealed Will
[21:01] - Praying for Obedience
[22:16] - The Model of Heaven
[24:06] - Angels as Models of Obedience
[26:34] - Following Jesus' Example
[29:32] - Embracing God's Commands
[33:40] - Jesus in Gethsemane
[37:21] - Submitting to God's Burdens
[39:53] - The Purpose of Prayer

Sermon Clips

Now think about this remarkable statement god works all things everything everything that happens in this world everything that happens in your life god works all things according to the counsel of his will what that means is that god is sovereign and his plans always prevail you see this of course supremely at the cross of the lord jesus christ. [00:04:44]

Now this is a wonderful comfort for all christian believers what this wonderful truth tells us is that nothing that happens in your life is ever outside of god's purpose or beyond his control and when you face something really painful in your life that is a wonderful truth to grasp hold off. [00:05:47]

Well we must trust god in what he has kept secret we walk by faith and not by sight until the day when we are in his nearer presence in heaven and then what was kept secret will be revealed and what was a mystery to us we will see with new eyes. [00:07:16]

Now all of us have to make and on a fairly regular basis important decisions and we wrestle sometimes with life-changing questions what college should i attend who should i marry should i marry where should i live what work should i pursue what money should i spend what money should i save what money should i give what church should i join what responsibilities should i take on my shoulders. [00:09:26]

You are not alone in the major decisions of your life the decisions that will shape the direction of your days you're not alone your shepherd walks beside you and he will lead you now how then are we to respond to god's discerned will well when we're in this area of decisions in which we have to exercise discernment. [00:11:13]

Now here is what jesus teaches us to pray father your will be done on earth as it is in heaven how is god's will done in heaven well it's done fully it's done gladly and it is done immediately and in the lord's prayer we are asking here that we may do the father's will in precisely the same way lord let me be one who do does your will fully gladly immediately. [00:26:31]

Jesus said i have come down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will of him who sent me and jesus loved doing the father's will i mean he said john chapter 4 my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work my food you see jesus found doing the will of the father nourishing it was like a good meal to him. [00:28:19]

Now when you pray your will be done you are committing yourself to follow jesus in obedience to all the father's commands when you pray your kingdom come your will be done you are ruling out everything that god forbids and you are ruling in everything god commands that's what it means to pray your will be done. [00:31:58]

Here's what it looks like for god's will to be done on earth it means that you submit to the burden that god has called you to carry as jesus did in the garden of gethsemane your will be done now none of us will ever carry the burden that our savior bore but god has given to each of us burdens that we must carry things that we wish we did not have to face. [00:36:31]

The greater your love for the father the stronger you will be under the burden that he calls you to bear and your love for the father will grow as you see in jesus more of his love for you and then jesus did this not only for love of the father but he did it for the joy that was set before him hebrews tells us that we are to look to jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. [00:38:08]

This petition changes our entire view of prayer you see our first thought may well be that prayer is a way to get god to do our will and jesus says now it's completely the other way around the purpose of prayer is not that god should do our will but that we should do god's will your will be done. [00:39:29]

Father we thank you that our savior knows the intensity of our struggle when your will conflicts with our desires give us strength to embrace your commands and give us grace to submit to the burdens that you have called us to carry we pray that you will help us to do your revealed will like the angels fully and gladly and immediately. [00:42:02]

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