HOW TO GET YOUR WILL DONE

A lot of what passes for prayer is merely wishing upward.  Whether offered with deep yearning or half-hearted suggestion, our prayers are often wanting.  I mean that in the sense of “lacking” as well as in the sense of “desiring“.  Prayer requires willing.  Specifically, I must align my will with God’s.

Get Aligned

Jesus taught his disciples to pray that the Father’s will would be done on earth as in heaven.  Then he modeled surrendering his will to the Father’s in the garden when he prayed, “not my will but yours be done”.  Knowing the will of the Father is priority one!  Stay in the negotiation with God until your wills are aligned.  Only then are you ready to pray with confidence.

Get Clear

Once you and God are on the same page, there are three things you can do to “get ‘er done”.  Make a promise, a request or a declaration.

If it is within your power to perform, make a promise.  Then set out to fulfill it.  If I say I am willing to lose weight, it does me no good to ask God to do it for me.  I am the one with the authority and power to eat less and exercise more.  Don’t ask God for things he gave you authority over.

If it is within someone else’s power and authority, make a request.  Ask and you will receive.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened.  Just knock on the right door.  Ask the person with the authority and power to answer.  Sometimes that is God.  Sometimes it is another person.  In the case of getting our conditional use permit with the city, I am asking for God’s favor, but I also need to be asking the people with the authority to make the decision and the power to influence the outcome.

If it is opposed in the natural or spiritual world, make a declaration.  Often in prayer I declare God’s will to the principalities and powers and to my own doubts and fears.  I remind them who is in charge, what he wants, what he has already accomplished, and what my intention is.  This is how you enforce God’s will.  Look at the example below.

Get Going

I crafted this prayer as a relevant model of how I am using this in real life this week.  Pray it with me as we lead up to the City Planning Commission hearing next Tuesday, November 14th at 6:30 PM.  Then craft one for your own purposes.  But make sure you do the hard work of aligning wills first.  Once you are aligned with God, there is nothing that can stop you!

Father, we believe it is your will for us to have a place to call home at the Ranch.  It is our will too.  We need permits and money to make that a reality.  We promise to work diligently to meet the city’s requirements and to be a blessing to our neighbors.  Each of us promises to give generously to fund this according to our ability.  Give us favor with the planning commission and city council as you have given already with the owners and city staff.  While we ask them for their support, we ask your Spirit to move in their hearts as well.  Give us eyes to see anything we may be missing and ears to hear what the city leaders are asking.  

We come against any opposition in the name and authority of Jesus Christ, declaring his victory on the cross, in his resurrection and his ascension.  He is the rightful ruler over everything including this city and this property.  We also have a legal right given to us by the owner.  So we bring this center under the authority of Jesus and under our rightful authority and command any opposing principalities or powers in the spiritual realm to stand down and back off in the name of Jesus.  

Father, give our team wisdom and favor as we seek to bring the planning commission in alignment with your will and ours.  Bless them, the council, the owners and the city.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.