Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 49

122. Q. WHAT DOES THE THIRD REQUEST MEAN?

     A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means, Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey Your will without any back talk.  Your will alone is good.   Help us one and  all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.

Along with instruction for our prayer lives, the third request in “the Lord’s Prayer” teaches us something about God’s character. It also reveals something fascinating about heaven.

For the believer, praying in this way necessitates a high view of God and an accurate view of man.  A High view of God in that He alone is perfectly good, He alone knows what is best, and He alone is working all things for our good and His own glory.  An accurate view of man means that we recognize that in our sin condition, nothing in the previous sentence is true about us. 

Such a prayer communicates our responsibility to obediently follow God’s commands as revealed in His word.  It also reminds us that we are dependent on God’s grace to obey.

This request also identifies that God’s will is being perfectly carried out in heaven.  Kevin DeYoung points out that in heaven, “there is perfect worship, perfect obedience, perfect holiness (The Good News We Almost Forgot, 227.)  May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.