Answer: One morning a church minister noticed a little boy on the very front row mumbling something with his eyes closed. It was a very small church, so the minister could hear the boy whispering "Tokyo" over and over. The minister was curious, so after the service he went to the little boy and said, "Son, I was so glad to see you praying so fervently in church this morning. I think I heard you saying "Tokyo" much of the time. Is there a reason you were praying for that town?" The child looked down at his shoes, he twisted inside his shirt and then said, 'Well, you see sir, I took my geography test yesterday, and if God doesn't make Tokyo the capital of France, I am going to get it wrong."

Think about it dear friend, what would happened if God answered everybody's prayer the way this boy wanted his to be answered. How long would Tokyo remain the capital of Japan?

When we pray "your will be done" it simply means that we must let God answer our prayers the way that is best for us. If the prayer only has personal implications then all we need to do is to trust and wait on God. He will answer in His time and in a way that is beneficial for us. If the prayer is inclusive, or concerns events, circumstances and situations involving other people, (as a lots of prayers are) then certainly "God's will" cannot not be submitted to the whim and fancy of every individual, no matter how great one's need or how honest and sincere one might be. God is everywhere, and He has the most sophisticated computer system that enables him to listen to all prayers at the same time, and from His vantage point, answer in a way that is best for all. Many times only God knows how practical our prayers really are. A few months ago I am sure some people were praying for sunshine, while at the same time others were praying for more snow. If you pray for rain today and your roommate prays for sunshine, would that mean that God would have to follow you around with your own rain cloud and at the same time provide sunshine for your roommate. It would certainly be funny to see everyone running around with his/her own "prayer-controlled climate."

I am sure that if God would literally answer the prayers of all the abused children, frustrated and battered wives or mothers, angry fathers, and disgruntled students, there would not be much mercy for the dejected, forgotten, or repentant sinner. Perhaps we would see people dropping dead on the streets for no reason, others jumping out of graves, children turning to dogs, teachers growing wiskers, cars climbing trees, just everything changing at the whim of others.

I am happy that there is a God who is in charge, and who is merciful, fair and loving. How do we know what is God's will for us? First of all we must get acquainted with the Bible. It is His "user's manual" for our successful operations on earth. There you will find God's revealed will - the "Manufacturer's" guide and instructions on how to live mentally, spiritually, socially and physically. Secondly, prayer is "custom calling", which is an individual's unique and personal request presented to God for special consideration. After we would have entered our request to God, "your will be done" would simply mean TRUSTING and WAITING for the appropriate answer.