Children, whether small or grown, will at some point, if not more often than not, exercise their own will by testing their parents' will. A child in a candy store wants to fill their bag to the brim with delightful treats, but their “mean” parents say, “No, if you eat all of that, you will have a tummy ache”. The child might throw a temper tantrum right in the middle of the store!
A grown child wants to ride in a car with a friend, a brand new driver, to an overnight trip with no parental supervision. Their parents make the wise choice to say no for their son or daughter's safety and well-being. The teenager may then sulk and give their parents the silent treatment.
Did you ever think about the fact that, as children of God, we can act like literal children in our responses to how God has answered our prayers? Some of us may become angry with God because He is somehow trying to punish or hurt us. Others may decide to shut God out and stop praying or reading the Word, feeling they can’t trust Him anymore. We have decided that our will for a situation is correct and best for us. Yet maybe the Lord was protecting us… I think we all can admit we have done this at one time or another…
But what if it is less about how God answers and more about how we pray?...
“Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying, “Our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.” So Moses brought their case before the Lord. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them. Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.” Numbers 27:1-8
Did the daughters of Zelophehad change God’s mind?? Isn’t God Sovereign, knowing all things and commanding rightly? It would appear that God did change His mind about his original command, BUT He STILL is Sovereign and in control of all things. You see, these daughters made their request in accordance with God’s will. They knew His statutes so well that they could advocate for their father based on them. The Lord honored their request because it was NOT outside of His will.
This passage does not show that God missed something when He outlined His command to bestow an inheritance; instead, it shows how approachable our great God is. That is when we know Him so well that we can approach Him with confidence, so much so that our wills align with His and our prayers are answered.
Let’s take a look at how to pray the will of God.
Know God So Well
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
When we first meet a new friend, it's exciting to learn everything about them. You may sit for hours just asking questions and sharing stories, only to realize how much you have in common! It’s a wonderful feeling to have a kindred spirit.
Our God is everything and more to us. He is our Father, our brother, our “Husband”, our Friend. Within each of these roles, there is so much to learn about Him!
When I first became a Believer, I LOVED the Word of God! I wanted to learn everything I could about my Lord and Savior. I purchased a Vine’s Dictionary and Strong’s Commentary. Spending time in the Word for me was like a lawyer going through the discovery process. I wanted not just to read the Word, I wanted to understand it fully.
I was also blessed with a church that taught the Word of God from a strong Biblical perspective. It felt like I had been to seminary!
During my early Christian walk, there was a show on Christian radio called the Bible Answerman, where the host would answer Bible questions received through a call line. I learned so much through that program!
Participation in Bible studies was and still is key to my growth in knowing the Lord. Also, spending quiet time just soaking in the Word and praying.
Through those foundational years and to this day, I continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, not because I am so wonderful, but because I had solid Christians come alongside me and mentor me, giving me a firm footing. My hope here is to pass on those same blessings.
Believe me, I’m still learning. It is indeed a journey to know God. You never stop learning because the Bible doesn’t stop speaking. It is alive and active.
If you take these steps and commit to knowing God so well, your prayers will reflect a beautiful alignment with the Lord’s will, and you will see fruit in the answers that you receive.
Be Still Before the Lord
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
During a recent snowstorm, my daughter said to me, “Wow, Mom, you come up with the strangest things to do just to keep yourself busy.” lol. She’s not wrong. I can’t “sit” still. The “things” I find to do are more administrative in nature. I don’t want you thinking I’m over here cleaning out closets every spare minute I get. Haha.
What is it about being still that is so hard for us? The world we live in is moving so fast with an immense amount of information coming at us from every angle that it is impossible to be still.
As Believers, we need to be overcomers in this world and allow ourselves to be still before our Heavenly Father. “After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12 Without stillness, we cannot hear from God at a deeper level. "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left". Isaiah 30:21 If we are caught up in the noise, we will miss God’s direction, His will. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." John 14:26 The Holy Spirit literally shows us God’s will!
So how do we practice stillness? We set aside time during our day to be still before the Lord without any distractions. Put the phone, iPad, and laptop away. Turn off the TV. Ask the Holy Spirit to empty your mind of everything that is distracting you there. Imagine yourself in the presence of the Lord where it is peaceful… Relax into that scene… wait and listen…
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:13. Making a habit of being still before the Lord will put you into a position of understanding the will of God and praying to that end.
Empty Self of Self
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23
We are born selfish. Lol. When you observe toddlers playing with other little ones, they are cunning at getting what they want. I’m always amazed by the bait-and-switch. Lol. I’ll give you this if you give me what I really want.
Sadly, we carry our selfishness into our prayers, especially our deepest longings. It seems like such a harsh word, selfishness, especially when we may be praying for something long desired, like a husband or a child. Praying for healing for a loved one or praying for release from an addiction or struggle. None of those things is inherently bad.
This is more about emptying the self of self in respect to praying the will of God, no matter how fundamentally good our prayers may seem.
But how do we do that? Do we not pray for the desires of our hearts when the Lord says He will give us the desires of our hearts? Of course, you pray those prayers with boldness, but as you are praying, with that hope, there is also acceptance that it might not be God’s will. Jesus Himself modeled this in the Garden of Gethsemane. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" Luke 22:42. When we pray for our heart’s desire, we must also release ourselves from that prayer.
Going even deeper into our faith, having put into practice knowing God so well and being still before Him, we must then empty ourselves of self, going into our time of prayer with a renewed understanding of what God’s desire would be in that situation and praying accordingly.
Dear Lord, help me to know you better, be still before you, and empty myself of self so that I can pray the will of God without fear.
What area of prayer do you struggle with the most when it comes to God’s will? What area can you improve to understand the will of God better?
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