His Will or Mine: What Am I Really Praying For?

The words, “ I pray Your will would be done”, are regularly on my lips, but a couple of months ago, I realized how often I forget to pray that He would be glorified above all!  Of course, the two are linked and cannot be separated. God does all things FOR His glory…that His name might be proclaimed and praised everywhere. But, unintentionally, there are times I think and pray in ways that seek to “tell God” what His will should be instead of pray for His glory to be seen through what He wills to do, however He wills to do it. 

I said I wanted God’s will to be done…but I had a GREAT idea of what that “will” should look like. I had WONDERFUL plans on what would be the most helpful for all. I LOGICALLY laid out our “desires”, coupled with the experiences God had brought us through, and felt quite confident in the direction God’s will should take. 

I lost sight of my “chief end”: to glorify God. God’s will is wrapped up in His glory, so to pray for His will to be done is to pray that He be glorified above all…and He alone knows best how to glorify Himself in us.  

My prayers have had a shift in the last couple of months…a necessary shift. And my heart has repented of my pride (and then keeps on repenting because that pride of mine keeps making an appearance!). With the help of Psalm 34 (caution: slow memorizing taking place), my prayers are looking a bit more like this: 

"Oh God, I want You to be glorified. I want to bless Your name at all times. I want Your praise to be on my lips. Right now, where You have placed me, I want to point others to You in what I say and what I do so that they magnify and exalt Your name, too. Oh Lord, why do I ever think “I deserve” anything from You? What do I have that I did not receive from You? I am nothing apart from You. You have ordained all the days that I have already walked in…and all the days yet to be journeyed. You have established Your plans for my family and me before the foundation of the world…so that You might glorify Yourself in us. And, just maybe, that might best be seen through suffering and hardship…not the “perfect place” with the “perfect job”.  It’s easy to say You are enough when the road is smooth and the path is clear, but You, so often, chose to glorify Yourself by showing Your sufficiency ESPECIALLY when the road is hard, the path is uncertain and the pain is real. May You be exalted above all and may Your glory be seen all over the earth…and in my life…whatever the cost!"