What do we pray for in the third petition?
In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,) acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God, but prone to rebel against his word, to repine and murmur against his providence, and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, weakness, indisposedness, and perverseness of heart; and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, with the like humility, cheerfulness, faithfulness, diligence, zeal, sincerity, and constancy, as the angels do in heaven.
Proofs
- In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,) (Matthew 6:10)
- acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God, (Romans 7:18; Job 21:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14)
- but prone to rebel against his word, (Romans 8:7)
- to repine and murmur against his providence, (Exodus 17:7; Numbers 14:2)
- and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: (Ephesians 2:2)
- we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, (Ephesians 1:17–18)
- weakness, (Ephesians 3:16)
- indisposedness, (Matthew 26:40–41)
- and perverseness of heart; (Jeremiah 31:18–19)
- and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, (Psalm 119:1, 8, 35–36)
- with the like humility, (Micah 6:8)
- cheerfulness, (Psalm 100:2; Job 1:21; 2 Samuel 15:25–26)
- faithfulness, (Isaiah 38:3)
- diligence, (Psalm 119:4–5)
- zeal, (Romans 12:11)
- sincerity, (Psalm 119:80)
- and constancy, (Psalm 119:112)
- as the angels do in heaven. (Isaiah 6:2–3; Psalm 103:20–21; Matthew 18:10)