Eleventh Sunday after Trinity – Friday
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:10.
God’s will toward us is a good and gracious will. God wants us to be His dear children and to obtain life everlasting. He wants us to live in His kingdom; here in time and thereafter in eternity, and, therefore, to continue to embrace Christ in true faith. Against this good and gracious will, the evil counsel and will of the devil, the world, and our flesh rises in revolt. This evil counsel and will do not want us to hallow God’s name, nor do they want to let God’s kingdom come. We should therefore cry and pray: “Thy will be done on earth, [O Lord,] as it is in heaven!”
In heaven, no evil will revolts against God’s good will. Hence we pray, in this petition, that God would break and hinder every evil counsel and will, and strengthen us and preserve us steadfast in His Word and in true faith unto our end. We implore the almighty and faithful God and Father to come to our aid, and oppose the devil, the world, and our flesh for us, so that, despite their enmity, we may remain His children and obtain eternal salvation. How necessary is this petition! And God will grant it, most assuredly. He has promised to strengthen and preserve us steadfast in His Word and in true faith to our end. He has said to us: “Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5 a). And what is more: He has Himself commanded us to pray thus.
My dear Christian, when viewing the matter rightly, realize that your most dangerous enemy is your own depraved flesh. And when God breaks and hinders its evil counsel and will, it will hurt you, and you will be in tribulation, but be joyful then and patient, knowing that God is fulfilling His good and gracious will in you, and say to Him who loves you perfectly in the perfect work of His Son: “Thy will be done.”
PRAYER – Dear heavenly Father, faithful God, I pray Thee, by all means continue to accomplish Thy good and gracious will in me, and continue to break and hinder the evil and contrary will of the devil, the world, and my own flesh. And continue to keep giving me, O Father, Thy Holy Spirit, working through the counsel of Thy Word, that, at all times, I may continue to resign myself to Thy will, that, now and in all eternity, I may continue to praise and glorify Thee, O Father, for Thy great faithfulness toward me in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Thy gracious will on earth be done,
as ‘tis in heaven before Thy throne;
obedience in our weal and woe,
and patience in all grief bestow.
Curb flesh and blood and every ill,
that sets itself against Thy will.
—
Amen, that is, so shall it be!
Confirm our faith and hope in Thee,
that we may doubt not, but believe,
what here we ask, we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy Word,
we say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord!
(Hymn 458, st. 4 and 9; TLH)