As it is in heaven

“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Matthew 6:10)

Many translations of the bible change the wording so that a verse has the same meaning only said in a different way.  However, when it comes to the tenth verse of the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew chapter 6, just about every translation is the same – “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Have you ever noticed that there is a comma after the word done in that verse?  That comma is separating an idea or thought.  Therefore, we need to pay close attention to what that verse is really telling us. 

First this is a prayer for God’s will to be done – not ours.  The desire for what God wants over what we want.  Then most translations quote the Lord’s prayer as saying, “on earth as it is in heaven” – placing earth first.   However, the original Greek does not read that way.  It reads, “as it is in heaven so on earth” – placing heaven first.  The Greek tells us the focus is not about our prayer reaching God’s ears, but letting heaven reach our life. 

This presents a whole new way of understanding the Lord’s prayer.  It teaches us not to look upon earth for the answer to our prayer, because the solution to life’s perplexities is NOT on earth – the solution is in heaven.  All answers to prayer begin in heaven.  We must learn to take our eyes, our mind, our heart off the problem that is here on earth and place our focus on the Lord, and the fact that whatever our problem is down here, the Lord has the answer – waiting in heaven.

How often do we pray for a person or situation, then spend time anxiously hovering over the problem, watching and waiting for God to do what we asked him to do.  We do that because our focus is here on earth where the answer is not found.  The answer to our prayer will come from heaven, and that is where our focus should be. 

One of the best ways we can do this is to simply sit down with the Lord and talk to him about the earthly situation that is troubling us.  As we do, we need to ask him if there is anything he wants us to do to help solve our problem.  Sometimes he will reveal something he wants us to do that we hadn’t thought about.  Or he may help us see the situation from a different perspective.  And if he doesn’t reveal anything to us, then that is our cue to wait.  Wait on heaven until “as it is in heaven – so it will be on earth.”  Wait on the Lord to do his work his way and in his time.  Then after we finish talking to the Lord, we need to go about our normal routine and leave the problem and our prayer in heaven, until the Lord sends his answer down to earth.  And remember, God is not Amazon.  His answers aren’t always delivered the next day, but his answers are always packaged in his perfect timing.

As it is in heaven – it will be done on earth!

                                                                        Darlene