The Lord’s Prayer
If a giant blue Genie were to appear to you right now, what would you wish for? People would likely ask for endless money, the ability to talk to dogs, the perfect breakfast burrito, or a few thousand bonus wishes. At least that’s where my mind would go. When confronted with the Genie question, it forces us to realize something unsettling.
We are pretty selfish. Most of us would make wishes that directly benefit our own lives. When Jesus is teaching us the key ingredients to effective prayer, he states, “your will be done.” We shouldn’t exclusively pray for our own will. We should pray for God’s will for the world. We must refuse to approach God like a Genie with selfish wishes and reckless requests.
Don’t only pray for your desires; pray for God to align your desires with His will. Don’t just pray for your concerns; pray for God’s Kingdom. God’s will is way better than your wants. His plans are better than your plans. You wouldn’t go to the doctor to tell her your diagnosis when she’s the expert.
You wouldn’t go to a Harvard professor to teach him about string theory when he wrote the book (whereas you watched a YouTube video). God is the leading expert of human experience. He envisioned it, then invented it. God knows what you need far better than you do, so ensure your prayers start with surrender.
There is nothing wrong with asking God for your desires, but approach the conversation with submission. Whenever you pray, be sure to pray for God’s will to be done around you and through you.
When you do so, you invite God to change and rearrange your desires to line up with His. Prayer changes things — that thing is usually you