Praying Aggressively - Protestant Caucus/ Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | 1993 | John McArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

"Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

Praying for God’s will to be done on earth is an aggressive prayer.

Many people assume that somehow everything that happens is God's will. But that's not true. Lives destroyed by murderous aggressors and families broken by adultery aren't God's will. Children and adults ravaged by abuse or crippled by disease aren't God's will. He uses sin and illness to accomplish His own purposes (Rom. 8:28), but they aren't His desire.

Eventually God will destroy all evil and fulfill His will perfectly (Rev. 20:10-14), but that hasn't happened yet. That's why we must pray for His will to be done on earth. We can't afford to be passive or indifferent in prayer. We must pray aggressively and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).

That's how David prayed. His passion for God's will compelled him to pray, "Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, so I will meditate on Thy wonders. . . . I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for Thou wilt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it" (Ps. 119:27, 32-35).

But David also prayed, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness" (Ps. 68:1-3). He loved God's will, but he also hated everything that opposed it.

When you truly pray for God's will to be done, you are aggressively pursuing His will for your own life and rebelling against Satan, his evil world system, and everything else that is at odds with God's will.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for David's example and for others who demonstrate a passion for God's will.

Ask for wisdom to see beyond your circumstances to what God wants to accomplish through them.

For Further Study

Read Psalm 119.

How can God's Word help you to know and obey God's will?

What was the psalmist's attitude toward the Word?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[tired&retired]

“Praying for God’s will to be done on earth is an aggressive prayer.”

Only for self centered people. For the rest of us it is a “surrender prayer.”

[tired&retired]

Many people pray...”God, help me with this problem.”

I pray, “God, guide me to do your will.”

[Bob434]

We were taught that everything is under God’s control and that there are 2 wills of his- his ultimate will for our lives, and his allowed will for our lives. We can have his ultimate if we seek it, but usually folks live in God’s allowed will because they don’t take their walk with him as seriously as they/we should.

We can pray according to his word pertaining to his promises to us individually, and to us as a nation. Prayers like the following prayer by Jeremiah had to do with God’s promise to punish the wicked, and as such was considered praying the will of God be done (this might be considered “praying with force” as well)

“Let them be ashamed who persecute me,
But do not let me be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed,
But do not let me be dismayed.
Bring on them the day of doom,
And destroy them with double destruction!:”