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,)1 acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God,2 but prone to rebel against his word,3 to repine and murmur against his providence,4 and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil:5 we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness,6 weakness,7 indisposedness,8 and perverseness of heart;9 and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things,10 with the like humility,11 cheerfulness,12 faithfulness,13 diligence,14 zeal,15 sincerity,16 and constancy,17 as the angels do in heaven.18
Scripture proofs
The Westminster Assembly's proof texts (KJV). The bracketed numbers in the answer above mark the clause each set of references supports; expand a row to read the verses.
1 Matt. 6:10
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
2 Rom. 7:18; Job 21:14; 1 Cor. 2:14
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
3 Rom. 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
4 Exod. 17:7; Num. 14:2
And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
5 Eph. 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
6 Eph. 1:17–18
Eph. 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
7 Eph. 3:16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
8 Matt. 26:40–41
Matt. 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Matt. 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
9 Jer. 31:18–19
Jer. 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.
Jer. 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
10 Ps. 119:1, 8, 35–36; Acts 21:14
Ps. 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Ps. 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Ps. 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
Ps. 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
11 Mic. 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
12 Ps. 100:2; Job 1:21; 2 Sam. 15:25–26
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
2 Sam. 15:25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:
2 Sam. 15:26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
13 Isa. 38:3
And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
14 Ps. 119:4–5
Ps. 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Ps. 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
15 Rom. 12:11
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
16 Ps. 119:80
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
17 Ps. 119:112
I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
18 Isa. 6:2–3; Ps. 103:20–21; Matt. 18:10
Isa. 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Isa. 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Ps. 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Ps. 103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
This doctrine across the Standards
Where the Confession and the Westminster Shorter Catechism treat the same matter, so the question can be studied alongside its parallel statements.
In the Westminster Confession
XXI.3 Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men; and …
Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men; and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of his Spirit, according to his will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.
→ XXI.3 · Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath DayXXI.4 Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall …
Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.
→ XXI.4 · Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath DayIn the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q.98 What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.
→ Open Q.98Q.99 What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord's Prayer.
→ Open Q.99Q.100 What doth the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
The preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
→ Open Q.100Q.101 What do we pray for in the first petition?
In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray, that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known; and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.
→ Open Q.101Q.102 What do we pray for in the second petition?
In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray, that Satan's kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
→ Open Q.102Q.103 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, we pray, that God, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.
→ Open Q.103Q.104 What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God's free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.
→ Open Q.104Q.105 What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ's sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
→ Open Q.105Q.106 What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
→ Open Q.106Q.107 What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.
→ Open Q.107