Thy Will Be Done

Begin this lesson by first reading or reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

What is the third petition of the Lord’s prayer?

The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer is: “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

What is God’s will?

God’s will is to reconcile all things to himself in Jesus Christ and to establish his kingdom on the earth. His will is revealed in the whole of Scripture and especially in Jesus Christ. I am called to serve and imitate Jesus with my whole life.

What does it mean for God’s will to be done?

It means that God has broken the dominion of sin, death, and the devil. It means that God’s justice has been established and that the plans of the wicked are thwarted. It means that God’s Church is strengthened and that his kingdom has been extended, through grace, to all people.

Can human beings frustrate the will of God?

Human beings do not frustrate the ultimate will of God, though they may, through their own choice, choose to deny the goodness of God’s will in their own lives. In this way humans reject restoration, regeneration, and the reign of God.

Why do you pray “on earth as in heaven”?

In heaven, God’s name is hallowed and his will is obeyed perfectly and completely. I pray that his kingdom will be established on earth fully, so that his will may be accomplished here and that his name may be perfectly hallowed on earth.

When will God’s perfect will be fully realized?

God’s perfect will shall be realized at the end of all things, when God restores all creation, conquers sin and death once and for all, and establishes his throne here on earth.