Today, Father Gregory resumes his series on the Lord's Prayer with Part 3 of Our Father at the phrase, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
The first step to learning God's will is understanding it is not our will. Orthodox Christians are little Christs and must follow the example of Our Lord. Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father. He emptied Himself and died on a cross. As followers of Christ, we are to deny self and martyr our own will daily. Our will and desires should not be allowed to run rampant but rather suppressed through fasting and confession, which is the life of the Church. In Confession, we learn humility by being obedient to someone other than ourselves. Spiritual Fathers guide us as we humbly tell them what we think and feel. The process of understanding God's will is not about the past or future but in this present moment living obediently to Him.