Your Daily Devotion for April 22, 2009

Praying for His Will

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

 

Matthew 6:10

 

 

As you obey God’s written will He will reveal His personal will for you.

 

Gen. William Nelson, a Union general in the Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky when a brawl ended up in his being mortally shot, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just one phrase, “Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized.” He never had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or after he became a general. And his wound did not stop or slow down the war. Everything around him was left virtually unchanged—except for the general's priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized. Thirty minutes later he was dead. 

 

The desire of every believer should be to serve and prepare for the day the Lord calls us home. General Nelson was not prepared and I’m sure had regrets as he was dying. Compare that to the young Confederate soldier who, as he was dying, broke out in singing, “Great Jehovah, we adore thee, God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, joined in glory on the same eternal throne: Endless praise to Jehovah, three in one.”

 

Being ready to meet the Lord when He comes means praying for His will and accomplishing it today. The second part of Christ’s “model prayer” shows us how to pray for His will, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” In the context of this time period, this petition references the doctrine which Christ preached at this time—the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. God desires that we would be ready for His return by praying for His will to be done.  

 

God’s will for your life is the task He has designed specifically for you to accomplish to aide in the furtherance of His work on earth. It is your piece of the puzzle of His plan. Have you ever thought about the fact that when God designed His plan for reaching the world He included you? He wants you to be a part of that plan!

 

In order to be prepared for God’s return, you must faithfully follow God’s will for your life. What is God’s will for you? It is different than any one else’s path, but it includes God’s general will—basic Bible commands such as reading God’s Word, praying, attending church faithfully, giving, and telling others of Christ. Just by reading this devotion, you are obeying God’s command to spend time with Him! While you may not know the specifics of God’s will for you right now, you do have His general will which you can obey.

 

Are you prepared for Christ’s return? Do you pray for His will to be done not only in the world, but in your heart personally? Each time you meet with God, take time to ask for His will to be accomplished in your life. Seek to follow the path He has prepared for you so that others will come to know Him. And as you seek His will for you, faithfully obey His general will. As you continue to obey God’s general will He will reveal His specific will for you.

 

 

To find out more about Pastor Paul Chappell visit his blog or follow him on twitter.

 

To learn more about Pastor Chappell's books, Sunday school curriculum, and spiritual leadership resources, please visit strivingtogether.com.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

2 Samuel 14-15 • Luke 17:1-19

 

 

 

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