On Earth As It Is in Heaven
Journey Through the Lord's Prayer — Devotion 7 of 14
Matthew 6:10 — “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Opening Reflection
Jesus closes this second petition with a scope so vast it is easy to pray past without noticing: “on earth as it is in heaven.” This is not a throwaway phrase. It defines exactly what kind of kingdom and what kind of will we have just asked for — the same perfect, unresisted, joyful obedience that already characterizes heaven, now sought for earth, including our own small corner of it.
Taking a Devotional View
In heaven, God's will is done immediately, gladly, and completely — no delay, no rebellion, no divided hearts. To pray “on earth as it is in heaven” is to ask that this same quality of obedience take root here, starting with us. It is a staggeringly high standard, and Jesus places it directly into the mouths of ordinary disciples, teaching them to want, and to pray for, nothing less than heaven's obedience breaking into earth's resistance.
This phrase also reframes what we are ultimately praying for across the whole prayer. Every request that follows — bread, forgiveness, deliverance — is asked for within this larger vision: a world, and a life, brought increasingly into alignment with heaven. We are not simply asking God to fix isolated problems; we are asking Him to make earth, and us, look more like heaven. That is a bigger and better prayer than we often realize we are praying.
Key Thoughts & Takeaways
Key Thoughts
- “On earth as it is in heaven” defines the kind of obedience we are asking God to establish — complete and unresisted.
- This phrase sets the scope for the rest of the Lord's Prayer's requests.
- We are praying not merely for problems to be fixed, but for earth to increasingly resemble heaven.
- This begins with our own hearts, not only the world at large.
Ask Yourself
- What would it look like for God's will to be done in my life today with the same completeness as in heaven?
- Where is there resistance in my own heart to the obedience heaven models perfectly?
- How does this phrase enlarge my understanding of what I am really asking for in prayer?
- What is one specific place in my life or sphere of influence where I can pray for heaven's obedience to break in?
Father, let Your will be done on earth — in my home, my work, my relationships, my own heart — with the same gladness and completeness it is done in heaven. I know how far short I fall of that obedience, and I ask You to close the distance. Make my small corner of the earth look more like heaven today, starting with me. In Jesus' name, amen.