"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…" we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Yet a quick glance at the newspaper demonstrates that God’s kingdom is a long way off, and that leaves me feeling helpless and hopeless some days.

So I’ve decided that reading about atrocities and suffering in the world before I’ve had my coffee and oatmeal doesn’t work very well. But once my body is fortified and I can think clearly, it is time to do what I can.

The problem is that I don’t know exactly what to do. Sometimes I can guess. Other times I’m so sure I know the answer that I’d like to give God a to-do list for the day. Whenever I hear myself thinking that I know I’m in big trouble!

So I’ve learned to pray "Thy will be done" and mean it. Try this along with me. Find one item in the newspaper or on the evening news that moves you or causes you concern. Find a place where you can be quiet, away from interruptions, and sit calmly. Let go of your own to–do lists and especially any God–do lists you might be carrying around.

Then imagine God holding the concern you’re bringing to this time of prayer. You might imagine God holding the person or situation in the palm of God’s hand. You might visualize divine light surrounding whatever or whoever concerns you. There are lots of ways to picture God’s presence; use whatever is meaningful to you. When you have an image in your mind, stay with it for a few minutes. Don’t ask God to do anything in particular. Just see God holding your concern close and working with it in the way that God sees fit.

I’ve used this exercise with retreat groups for many years now, and people are always surprised at the results. The first thing people notice is that this practice reminds us that we’re not God. What we’re doing here is exercising our own willingness to let God’s plans come to fruition, rather than trying to impose our will upon God. Many people find a sense of freedom in realizing that we don’t have to know how to solve everything. We’re praying — and really meaning it — that God’s will be done.

This practice doesn’t stop us from working in the soup kitchens, and giving of our time, talents, and treasures to alleviate the suffering of others. But it helps us give to others with open hands knowing that God will use what we offer in God’s own ways and times. Most importantly, this practice may help us pray and really desire that God’s will, and not ours, be done. May it be so.

Resource
For a helpful exploration of intercessory prayer, read the chapter by that name in Richard Foster’s Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (HarperSanFrancisco, 1992).

Debra Farrington is the author of eight books of Christian spirituality and an experienced  retreat leader and speaker. Contact her through her Web site at www.debrafarrington.com

This article is published in the June 2007 issue of Lutheran Woman Today.