Thoughts and Prayers
Q #124: What does the third petition mean?
A: “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” means: Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good.
Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.
It is common these days when a tragedy occurs to hear of people sending “thoughts andprayers” to victims. Whether this comes by way of a national leader at a press conference, or the masses through social media, it seems to be the prevalent way of expressing solidarity with those affected. It has become equally common for such expressions to be roundly condemned by other people, especially when the tragedy lines up with certain political positions. Generally this takes the form of something like, “These victims don’t need your thoughts and prayers, they need you to do something, like [advance my pet political cause right now].”
If you’re like me, both of these responses are somewhat dissatisfying. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is something powerful in praying for victims of a tragedy. But how many times do we say something like “thoughts and prayers for these victims” on social media, and then forget to actually pray for them? Similarly, how many times do we advocate some favorite cause on social media, and never do anything else to actually advance the thing that we profess is so important?
Maybe today’s catechism Q&A can show us a better way. It seems to tie thoughts andprayers and action together.
Granted, the “thoughts” are implicit. But they are required to know God’s will. Romans 12:2exhorts us not to be conformed to the world but to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, andperfect will.” Discerning God’s will is more than a matter of finding scriptural proof-texts to support our previously held convictions. It is more than nodding along to the assertions of one political party or another. It requires prayer and thought—transformation by the renewing of our minds.
But this prayer and thought is incomplete without obedience. This is why the catechism describes this third petition as a request for God to “Help us one and all to carry out the work that we are called to.” Instead of merely sending thoughts and prayers to victims of a tragedy across the country or across the world, let us pray for and actively help those across town or across the street. Instead of reflexively getting angry on social media about this law or that law, let us prayerfully and thoughtfully work for a more just and ordered society. Instead of getting angry at those others that we think are disobeying God's will, let us prayfor own hearts to be turned so that we might live into a more faithful obedience.
Of course, this obedience is not how we are saved. As the catechism continually professes, our salvation is through Christ alone. But this obedience is what we are saved for. So let us pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and let us allow the Spirit to stir us to think and act according to that will.
~Pastor Matt