Let it Be

1. Let it Be Luke 11:2

2. Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3. Let it Be • "Christianity will go," he said. "It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first-rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me.“ – John Lennon One of The Beatles most famous songs is “Let it Be!” for us to pray “Thy Will Be Done,” we are asking God to “Let It Be” in our lives. In spite of what John Lennon has claimed, there are more believers in the world today than in any point in history…. THY WILL BE DONE!

4. What Is The Will Of God? • “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:17 • What is the Lord’s Will? • By definition, “Thy Will Be Done” is… • God’s Purpose and Plan for our lives. • “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 • God has a picture, if you will, of what He plans for our life to be, and He is at work, all the time, weaving the different aspects of our lives together in hopes of one day completing that picture. • Regardless of who you are, God has a plan for you.

5. What Does The Will of God Look Like? • “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2, NKJV • Again, by definition, when we pray “Thy will be done” in our lives, it is… • Good • The will of the Lord is “good.” • God will not ask us to do anything that is not for our eternal good. • We will always profit when we do the will of God, and we will always lose when we do anything other than the will of God.

6. What Does The Will of God Look Like? • Acceptable • By “acceptable” the Bible means that it’s fully agreeable or suitable for our life. • God will not ask us to do something that we are not spiritually able to do. • Impeccable • When the Bible uses the word “perfect,” that’s exactly what it means. • God’s will is flawless. • There is no way you or I could improve upon God’s plan for our life. • Praying “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” surrenders ourselves to realizing His ways are better than ours.

7. What Does The Will of God Look Like? • Do-able • “The One who calls you is faithful, and HE WILL DO IT.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24 • If God calls us to do something, He will also equip us to do it. • Moses had Aaron to carry out the Will of God • David carried his sling and five smooth stones to carry out the will of God. • Gideon had a handful of men to defeat a might army. • Advisable • “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:17 • The Bible is full of examples of people who ignored the will of God, and it cost them. • Jonah for example

8. “As in Heaven, So in Earth” • What is in view here is “doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6), a heart that has totally been conquered and captured by Him, and is controlled by the Holy Spirit. • Success here on earth in doing the will of God is compared with how it is done in heaven. • How is God’s will accomplished in heaven? • Constantly – We must ALWAYS do the will of God • “…they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.” – Rev. 7:14 • Many times our obedience to God’s will is intermittent at best. We tend to do God’s will only when it is convenient and it doesn’t interfere with our will.

9. “As in Heaven, So in Earth” • How is God’s will done in heaven? • Absolutely – There is no hint of diverting from the Will of God • In heaven, the saints and angels do not pick and choose which aspects of God’s will they want to obey. • Some have issues in their lives on which they have not completely surrendered to God. There are points of resistance through which the Holy Spirit has not yet broken through. • Joyfully • In heaven, God’s will is done with delight. • The will of God is not always the most easy thing to accomplish and it’s easy to grow “weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13). To avoid becoming weary in doing the will of God, our approach must be to do what we do “heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

10. “As in Heaven, So in Earth” • How is God’s will done in heaven? • Humbly • The only one receiving glory is heaven is the Lord. • Our motivation for doing God’s will should not be for the applause of man but for the approval of our heavenly Father. • Instantly • There is no hesitation on the part of the saints and angels in doing the will of God in heaven. • When it comes to doing the will of God on earth, there is no need for prayer or debate or discussion. We should act instantly, without hesitation.

11. Conclusion In I John we’re told that we can approach God "with confidence…that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (5:14). God doesn’t offer us a blank check. Our prayers must be in harmony with His will. When we seek God’s will, we need to ask God to place in us a desire to want what He wants us to want-then when we pray, we will be praying intelligently, according to His will-and we will can expect results. We should pray with confidence, knowing that God causes all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). Prayer releases the power of God into our lives. We can live expectantly, knowing God’s purpose will come to pass, "as in heaven, so on earth."