The Anatomy of Thy will be done in the life of a Believer

In Luke 14: 1-4, Jesus, in response to his disciples asking him how to pray, teaches them the following prayer:

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven…

This is known as the “Our Father” prayer. To me it is an indication of how I should approach God in prayer.

I have been pondering lately, is what does it mean to pray for God’s will to be done in my life?

Firstly, I think it means that I should acknowledge that God, is the Lord of your life, that he is in control of everything, and I surrender and /or submit to his authority. Submission refers to the act of yielding to a higher authority’s decisions and demands. Surrender on the other hand refers to giving up fighting the higher authority.

“…on earth as it is in heaven” means that I not only pray for God’s sovereign rule in my life but also on the earth. My desire is for God’s kingdom and rule to be extended to others in my surrounding world. That is why I pray for the salvation of souls. This is the Great Commission.

Other scriptures in the Bible that point to submission and surrendering to God’s sovereignty are:

Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’.”
Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Matthew 19:21, Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Luke 9:24, Jesus said, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

The purpose behind living a selfless and sacrificial life is to follow Christ’s example. He laid down his life for a greater purpose. To bring salvation to the world.

I also believe that I am chosen, and this adds purpose to my life. John 15:16, Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart;”

In 1 Peter 2:9, I learn that God choses people to carry out his plan. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

In fact, we are predestined: Romans 8:29-30 states that, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Ephesians 1:5 declares, “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Believers are the body of Christ and as part of the Great Commission, we must go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything that Christ has commanded (Matthew 28:16-20). I am therefore part of body representing Christ. We are Christ hands and feet.

Although salvation is free, there is a cost in following Christ. In Luke 14:25 -35, Jesus himself spoke of “counting the cost”. In my journey as a born-again Christian and follower of Christ, there has been many occasions wherein I had to deny myself what I wanted. Particularly, when what I wanted, desired, or even needed conflicted, may cause conflict, or jeopardize my relationship with the Lord. Sometimes it is easy and other times not so easy.

I am guided by the Holy Spirit of God that lives within me and is always with me. I will listen to the Holy Spirit, and discern through prayer, scripture in the Bible and / or confirmations from like-minded people. There are times when the unction of the Holy Spirit is strong. It is like a ‘knowing’ or a confidence that comes from my core and carries me through adversity, particularly, when everything appears to be falling apart.

“Thy will be done” is therefore the epitome of the internal struggle that I think every born-again Christian experiences. The fight between my will and that of God. The struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. The old man and the new (Galatians 5:17). St Paul describes this as the war within in Romans 7:14-25. I must therefore reason myself through this experience with the help of the Holy Spirit.

I have a choice though, to not follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I sometimes do doubt and think of leaving God. But what would I be leaving God for, and would I truly be free? I ask myself.

I am either bound to God who is good or the devil, who’s aim is to kill, steal and destroy. It may seem as if I am free and following my own will. However, in my reality, I would become either bound to a job, a relationship or even substance abuse to either dull the pain of separation from God and the inevitable loneliness that follows or give my life meaning through work or committing myself to some cause.

Leaving God would also mean leaving his protection and provision.

I feel that either way, I am bound.

I would rather choose to be bound to God the Father, whom I trust. In my journey, He has proved to be good and faithful. I also know that there is purpose in everything that I experience. Even painful experiences are good as they help me transform, persevere, build my character, and strengthen my faith and confidence in God. I receive a benefit from my trial.

The best thing, I believe, is that God will work out all things for my good (Romans 8:28). It does not matter what happens, or whether I am the cause of my own demise. It will be resolved to my benefit. Because no-one can come against Gods plan for my life which is ultimately part of his greater plan. This is comforting to my soul. I want to stay within this plan. I therefore persevere to submit and surrender to His will.

Zelna Jansen is an ex officio board member of BE ✝️HE CHANGE

BE ✝️HE CHANGE vision is “Empowered communities where every young woman and child has self-agency.” Be ✝️he Change is a community organization, facilitating change within society by improving and enhancing the lives of young women and children through education support, advocacy work, skills for life and other empowerment programmes.

Zelna Jansen is also the Executive Director of Zelna Jansen Consultancy, a lobbying and advocacy firm with the aim of bringing people together to find solutions and helping people to have a more effective conversations with their law- and policymakers.

She is an admitted attorney of the High Court, with an especially keen interest in public policy, trade law and constitutional law. She has a Bachelor of Arts (prelaw), a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Commerce degree specializing in trade law and policy. Through her volunteerism in leading roles in several organizations she actively engages the community and social spirit necessary to uplift many in South Africa today. This includes writing opinion editorials, news and radio interviews and educational workshops with community organizations and schools on how to conduct advocacy on law and policy reform.