Prayer Revolution: A 14-Day DevotionalSýnishorn

Seven Priorities of the Lord's Prayer and How God Answers (Part 2: The Last Four)

“Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven”

When we pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” a miracle happens within. God’s will moves into our hearts. From within, we strive to accept His will, no matter how difficult things get. We learn to approve God’s will as good, right, and just; we resolve to act on His will in loving obedience.

As we faithfully pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we feel our souls burn with God’s love of righteousness and justice: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). We move from being overwhelmed by the injustice of the world to becoming agents of its renewal. Our kingdom prayers bring justice and mercy to realization. We become God’s answer to our own prayers. 

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

As we request of God to “give us this day our daily bread,” we grow in firm assurance that we will have enough resources for ourselves and plenty to care for the poor and needy. Our hearts become generous, and our needs modest. We are filled with a new spirit of thanksgiving.

As we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” we learn contentment and generosity. We don’t just talk about helping others in need, we start doing it, giving our time and releasing our resources and opening our homes to the poor, displaced, disabled, immigrant, or otherwise outcast.

“Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors”

When we humbly pray “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” we ask God to impart His Spirit and grant redemptive community. God gives us a  deep inner peace as we accept and enjoy His forgiveness. Whether in the church or in the world, we begin to treat others with humility and grace. As we bow in humble repentance, asking God to “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” He makes us agents of reconciliation. 

An elderly friend knew her cancer was a death sentence. She told me, “I was praying, ‘Forgive us our debts,’ and all of a sudden, I knew my heart was filled with grudges toward family members. I realized how foolish I was. I phoned each of them to say ‘I am sorry.’ They forgave me. Now they are all coming here for a family reunion.” As she conveyed this story, her eyes radiated pure joy.

“Lead Us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from the Evil One”

When we pray “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” God fortifies our souls against the incessant temptations of the world and the devil. Guided by the Good Shepherd, we grow confident that He will lead us in the way we should go—in His “paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3).

When we pray this petition, we are like Frodo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. As soon as he put on the ring of power, the unseen world became visible to him. Frodo was able to see the enemy—and the enemy was able to see him. The contest between good and evil commenced the minute he put on the ring. In a similar way, as soon as we start praying, we enter the fray. We do not pray about spiritual warfare. Prayer itself is spiritual warfare. We are not overwhelmed or fearful, because Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (see 1 John 3:8), and indeed He did. At the cross, He dealt the deathblow to the evil one.

Praying “Lead us not into temptation” makes us aware of the evil, proud, licentious, and anti-Christian nature of the world around us—and the world within us too. We join others praying against the predatory and immoral actions of those who deceive others, who use all manner of schemes to exploit people, from dishonest marketing to human trafficking. We cultivate godliness and encourage strong boundaries around our churches, families, and communities. We endeavor to use “just weights” and honest communications in all our dealings.

When we ask our heavenly Father for something, we should lift our eyes and hearts in expectation of an answer. Jesus taught, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7). The Lord’s Prayer is not the only prayer we should pray; Scripture presents thousands of prayers we can pray. But Jesus has given us words to provide a helpful guide to how we should pray and what we should ask for. Each petition of this prayer promises an answer.