“Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” — Matthew 6:10
This request is a natural response to the previous request that God’s name be worshipped and proclaimed through the earth and the coming of the kingdom.
We often look at prayer as the opportunity for us to get stuff from God, right? And as desperate people, God is the only one to whom we can pray and seek help. But in another sense, Jesus is saying that prayer is less about getting our will done by God, but seeing God’s will done on earth.
Today, as in every generation, the priorities of Heaven are at odds with the priorities of a fallen world.. Prayer, then is not a matter of making God conform to our expectations, but aligning our expectations to God’s kingdom purposes.
God owns the universe and all who live in it.
In biblical times kings wielded real power. They owned the land and the loyalty of their people, and truly ruled them. Legislative, executive, and judicial power, rather than being separated as it is in Australia, was seated in one person wearing one crown.
So, when the Bible describes God as King, it means us to understand that God owns the universe and all who live in it, and rules absolutely. It also means that God—being a good King—protects and provides for his people, rules with perfect justice, and decrees perfect laws that bring true order, peace, and flourishing to those who obey them.
The coming of Jesus was the return of the King.
The Bible also teaches that all of humanity has rebelled against God our King. We’ve broken his Ten Commandments. We’ve put ourselves under the rule of the devil: a false and cruel prince who wills only to enslave and murder us. We’re foolish rebels and traitors who deserve nothing but God’s justice and death.
The coming of Jesus was the return of the King to end the rebellion, to re-establish his reign over the lives and hearts of his people, and to restore his kingdom from the grief and ravages of the devil’s reign. Jesus’ miracles proved that “the kingdom of God has come among you” (Matt. 12:28).
“Come, Lord Jesus!”
“Thy kingdom come” is a daring prayer! We affirm that the world is not right and that we suffer under a cruel rebellion in which we are all complicit.
We pray also that all people will own Jesus as King and bring their lives under his protection and rule. “Kiss the Son…blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:12).
And we pray that King Jesus will hasten to return to set all things right in this broken and rebellious world: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).
Only God wills what is right.
When we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we recognize God’s perfect justice, wisdom, and holiness. He only wills what is right.
We recognize also that the heavenly angels, under the reign of God the King, and untouched by the rebellion of sin, freely and gladly do God’s perfect will.
And we grieve that, right now, God’s will is not done on earth. No one keeps his Ten Commandments. We pray, then, that we will have God’s freedom on earth that our chains of sin will be broken, that we’ll be free to do our heavenly Father’s good will, and that we will live in the delight of this.