The Lord's Prayer
Q35. What is the Third Petition?
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Matthew 6:10
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does the Third Petition ask?
- 2
What does "on earth as it is in heaven" tell you about how perfectly God's will is done in heaven?
- 3
When is it hardest for you to want God's will instead of your own?
Illustration
In a choir, every singer follows the conductor. No one sings their own song or keeps their own tempo. Heaven is like that. Every angel, every creature does exactly what God wants, without hesitation. On earth, we are the ones singing off-key. This petition asks God to bring our lives into tune with his will, the way heaven already is.
Application
The next time you face a decision and you want one thing but sense God might want something different, pray: "Your will be done." Ask God to help you want what he wants, even when it costs you something.
Read Luther’s expanded teaching
From the Large Catechism (1529)