Your will be done in trials, sickness or healing

Your will be done Mathew 6:10

I shared these thoughts to our Tuesday prayer meeting. It is a series on the Lord’s prayer. In our congregation, we do have people going through difficult times. The petition “your will be done” is approached with this situation in mind.

Understanding the will of God

• God’s sovereign plan: He decides, fulfils. Nothing can hinder this. What he plans will happen.

  • Example: Creating the world. Sending Jesus. The final victory over evil. Ephesians 1. Acts 2:23 “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

• God desires things to be done. Some happen some don’t happen.

  • Examples
    • Adam not to sin. All people to hear the good news. But not all will be saved. People to be healed. Gospels mention healings. Many healings up until today.
    • Some will be healed. Some will not be healed in this present world. But all will be given a new body in the future. Already and not yet.

• God permits. Permissive will of God

  • Examples
    • Disobedience of humans, angels. Evil is done by people. Results of the fall.

Your will be done and sickness

• Elisha: 2 Kings 13:14 “Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die.”
• Paul: Galatians 4:13-14. How did God use Paul’s situation in this passage?
• Timothy: 1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
• God heals today. We are encouraged to pray for the sick James 5 says “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

Your will be done and sufferings/trials

• Romans 8:17-25. Hebrew 12:4-13
• God can be glorified in our lives
  • When he heals us
  • When he does not heal us: Yes, again, Jonny Erickson Tada, watch this two-minute testimony. We are loved and we are promised that his love will never leave us Romans 8:26-39. Mark 14:32-42. Job (whole book). GOD CAN BE TRUSTED!

Notes

– At the Greek Bible School in Athens, our teacher Bill Baldwin used to explain God’s will in this way: God’s sovereign plan, God’s intention/desire, and God’s permissive will of God. The last two overlap of course.