For the Christian, there are many ways to approach prayer. Some have a daily time set aside for prayer built into their schedule, perhaps in the morning with a cup of coffee and their Bible and devotional reading, or perhaps it is as you rest your head on the pillow. I  tend to pray throughout the day, but do most of my praying as I take walks, with a brief time of prayer as I rest my head for sleep at night.
There are also a number of ways to organize our prayers. I used to use a written prayer list. These days I use the ACTS model. The ACTS model is:
A – Adoration
C – Confession
T – Thanksgiving
S – Supplication

I do tend to pray “The Lord’s Prayer” each day before I begin my ACTS prayers. It was a few years ago when my mother in law’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse and test after test failed to determine the cause, that I started praying “Father, Your will be done” from “The Lord’s Prayer”.

Jesus himself, in Matthew 26:39, as He was facing the cross, and abandonment by the Father, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prayed:

My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

We might ask, is not God’s will always done? Can His purposes not be accomplished?

Are you ready for a bit of theology? We can see that there are actually different wills of God.

The Westminster Confession of Faith describes two main aspects of God’s will: the decretive will and the preceptive will. The decretive will refers to God’s hidden plan and purpose, which He brings to pass. The preceptive will refers to God’s revealed law and commandments, which He desires humanity to obey.

Ligonier helpfully expands on this as follows:

“Reformed theologians distinguish between the decretive and preceptive wills of God. The decretive will refers to God’s sovereign decree of whatsoever comes to pass. For the most part, this will is hidden from us, but it includes everything that actually happens in creation. If God ordains something in His decretive will, it will certainly come to pass.

God’s preceptive will, on the other hand, refers to those things that He finds morally pleasing in themselves. Think of the Ten Commandments—the positive things they enjoin such as the preservation of life, chastity, contentment, and so forth are pleasing to God. It is His will that such things be done because He approves of them. However, we know that God’s preceptive will is routinely broken. People violate the commandments; they go against His preceptive will.

To pray for God’s will to be done is to pray for His preceptive will to be kept. Yet, it is more than that. It is to ask that people would do this will not merely out of duty but because they want to serve God with all their hearts.”

R.C. Sproul tells us that to pray that the will of God be done is the highest expression of faith to submit to the sovereignty of God. We are to come to God and tell Him what we want, but we must trust Him to give the answer that is best for us.

Praying for the will of God to be done is to surrender to the sovereignty and wisdom of our holy God.

Were you familiar with the different wills of God? Do you pray that God’s will be done?