Understanding the Will of God and Other Reflectons

Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer (or the Our Father) we are asking that God's will be done. Do we realize what we are saying when we ask that God's will be done? Is there any connection between the prayer that God's will be done and Jesus' statement that we are responsible to do God's will? Most people, upon hearing the phrase will of God, react in one of three ways: with fear, confusion or resignation. Are our lives predetermined for us ahead of time? Is God's plan something like a blueprint, a road-map, or more like a work of art or an act of love? Does God decide for us or leave us to make our own decisions? Is there a reason for everything? How can God be a loving God if he is responsible for the evil in the world? Does God want us to be rich? Do miracles still happen? Can prayer alter God's will? Is it God's will when a student returns to the campus with a gun to kill his fellow-students? These are only a few of the questions raised and discussed in depth in this devotional guide to understanding the will of God. Other philosophical reflections in capsule form cover a wide diversity of topics in Part Two of the book, ranging from war and peace to servant leadership to what it really means to be great. Written from a Christian point of view, the book may be used as a tool for private reflection or to help with group discussions such as a community book club.