Thy Will Be Done

Jesus teaches us to pray “Thy will be done” in the Lord’s Prayer. In English, that sounds like a decree: “May what God has already decided be done.” But the Greek New Testament word for “Will” is θέλημα (the-lay-mah), whose meaning carries the sense of an attitude favoring or delighting in one alternative over others. The biblical Hebrew word for “Will” is “Ratzon.” It comes from the root word (Rtzh), which means “to be pleased with, to find favor in.” So “Ratzon” and “Thelema” are the things in which God delights, not merely what God decides.

Jesus teaches us to pray as He does before the Father, not with grudging submission but by seeking alignment with what delights Him. Jesus is not asking us to pray, “Thy verdict be enforced” but “Thy delight be done.”

In the darkest hour of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “If this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may your will (ratzon)(the-lay-mah) be done.” — Matthew 26:42. Notice how Jesus is praying, even then, aligning His desire with the Father’s delight in saving the world through Him. At the cross, with one word, God’s decree and delight become the same.

When we give a thoughtful gift, we seek to give one that will bring delight to the receiver. Our heavenly Father delights in seeking our good and blessing. He is full of mercy, compassion, and grace. He can do far more abundantly than all we could ask or imagine. He is always working all things together for our eternal good and blessing. That’s why Jesus teaches us to pray, “May Your will, what delights You, be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

I invite you to pray this way as you intercede for others and seek God’s mission to be accomplished in us and through us to the world.