Nothing fit stop God. Na Im be I BE WHO I BE (YHWH), di One wey dey forever, wey get all power, wey be perfect Goodness, and wey be existence itself. This God wey High Pass All don choose to enter relationship of covenant with us, as Im dey invite us to become members of di Mystical Body of Im Divine Son. This invitation—this New Covenant—dey lift us up to share for God life in glory.
Just as nothing fit stop God our Father, when we fully accept who we be in Christ—by living out di first two requests for di Our Father prayer—nothing fit stop us from showing God glory as we dey do Im Will. Nothing! So, nothing fit stop us from doing di main duty wey we get for life.
When Im perfect Holiness dey shine inside us and through us, Im Kingdom dey become present. When Im Kingdom dey present for time and place, then di requests wey follow for di Our Father prayer dey become reality:
- Im will dey happen,
- We dey receive wetin we need to sustain our body and spirit,
- Di debt of sin dey clear inside us and through us,
- We dey overcome every trial,
- And we dey receive protection from di evil one and im works.
If we want make nothing fit stop us for our mission to do God perfect will and share for perfect beatitude—di happiness wey only God dey give—we go begin by living out di first two requests for di Our Father prayer perfectly. We go allow these desires wey high pass all to direct every lower desire and bring am in line with their final goal: God and Im eternal glory.
This one dey happen only when we allow di strong desire for God glory and for Im holiness to show to take hold of our lives and clear away every other desire wey dey compete with am. Na this be di greatest and first commandment: “You go love di Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When this pure and holy love don become perfect for every part of who we be—our mind, will, passions, feelings, desires, and body—then every other good thing go follow: We go love ourselves in God and love our neighbours as we love ourselves. This way, we go fulfil Jesus second commandment, wey sum up di last five requests for di Our Father prayer.
A Way to Reach di Final Goal
E dey important make we understand this third request—together with di fourth and fifth requests—as a way to reach di final goal, no be di goal itself. As we don see, di final goal of all prayer na God glory and di full coming of Im Kingdom. To do God will na way to reach that goal. For di end, when God Kingdom don fully stand and Im glory don show fully for everybody to see, we no go dey talk again say, “No be my will, but make Your own happen.” Instead, our only prayer go be to cry out forever, “Holy, Holy, Holy na di Lord God Almighty!” For di Beatific Vision, we go fully get God will as our own, and we no go struggle again to do Im will: God will and our own go agree perfectly.
To live out this way to reach di final goal—to do God will—we need to understand wetin truly Good. Too many times, even faithful people dey pray and try to do God will according to wetin dem think say good. But e truly good? Something good only when e dey show God holiness and move Im Kingdom forward for earth. Na only God fit define wetin “Good” mean. Na only God know how to bring about di greatest good for any situation.
If we want make nothing fit stop us from doing God perfect will for earth as e be for Heaven, then we must keep our eyes on di Good wey go remain forever: God glory for Im Kingdom. Na that Good suppose direct us and give us power for everything we dey do. Na only then God will dey happen for earth as e be for Heaven. Di moment we stop to focus on honouring God Name as holy and making Im Kingdom stand, all our other prayers and actions go lose their proper direction and fail.
How to Live Out This Request
When we honour God and show Im holiness and glory for our lives—first by making our hearts a chorus of praise wey no dey stop, as we dey cry out, “Holy, holy, holy…”—we dey begin to become instruments of Im divine will. For this change to happen, we must let go of every movement of our will wey no agree perfectly with di Father will.
For di Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus pray, “No be my will, but make Your own happen” (Luke 22:42), no be because e hard for Am to obey di Father, and no be because Im human will dey against Im divine will, but because Im want join us to Imself for that act of perfect surrender. Im put into words a human desire wey dey properly ordered and wey submit fully to di Father will, so that we fit learn to pray those same words in Am and with Am. As we dey do this, we dey enter deeper into di mystery of obedience wey dey bring redemption, where love dey become perfect through sacrifice.
Another thing be say, as the Church don teach in final way, Jesus get will two—one na divine will, and one na human will. Even though His human will always agree perfectly with His divine will and with wetin His Father want, e still remain true human will. So e need to join with the divine will through human action wey He choose freely and deliberately. As human being, Jesus truly desire to avoid suffering and death. But wetin make His obedience get so much glory be say He freely surrender even this good and natural desire to the higher desire to fulfil His Father’s plan to redeem us. As He do this, He no only move towards offering Himself as Sacrifice for the Cross; He also make human freedom holy, and through grace, He give us power to choose wetin God want above all our natural desires—no be only desires wey no dey in proper order, but even the ones wey good and human, like the desire to avoid pain or preserve person life.
For example, when person wey we love dey seriously sick, how we dey pray? We dey ask God to heal the person body—because we think say good health and long life na the greatest good things? Or we dey pray make wetin God want happen, as we put ourselves and the person wey we love completely for His hand, and trust His wisdom, knowing say anything wey He want na for His greatest glory and for wetin go finally be best for us?
Think about the example of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. When she dey twenty-four years old, Sister Thérèse, one Carmelite nun wey dey live enclosed life for convent, come get serious tuberculosis. Before that time, she don live simple life wey people no too know about—first with her family, then inside the convent walls. The people wey love her likely pray with all their heart make she recover, as dem dey fear wetin dem see as the worst thing: say she go die. But for Sister Thérèse to die at the young age of twenty-four, na really “the worst thing”? Or, inside God’s perfect providence, na the best thing?
For that time, her family and the other Sisters fit don think say her recovery na the greater good. But today, we see clearly say her life end exactly when e end because her early death fulfil God’s perfect will and bring Him the greatest glory.
If she recover and live for many more years, wetin for happen? We no know. But we know wetin come out of her death:
- Her diary, wey she write in obedience to her superior, come out as book and become one of the spiritual writings wey don influence people pass for all time, as e inspire millions of people all over the world.
- Her soul don reach the fullness of holiness wey God prepare her for.
- Now she dey intercede with power for people for Heaven.
E be as if God, with His perfect wisdom and knowledge of wetin go happen, see say His “Little Flower” don reach the time wey her beauty dey shine pass. So He pluck her comot from this life make she blossom forever for Heaven, where her beauty and holiness go shine forever.
If she live longer, maybe dem for never publish her diary. Maybe the strong zeal wey she get for spiritual life for reduce as the years dey go. Maybe history for forget her. But God know.
Na why we must trust God completely be this. By His will wey permits things to happen, He allow the sickness wey take her life, no be as tragedy, but as victory—a moment when her soul don prepare perfectly to enter glory. No be say God no answer the prayers wey people pray for her recovery; instead, His providence answer them in the perfect way, as He permit her to enter Heaven at exactly the right moment—when her holiness don reach the highest point.
The best prayer wey both Thérèse and the other Sisters for fit pray when she dey sick na simply this: “Our Father, make You receive glory through this sickness as You bring wetin You want to perfect fulfilment, so that the life of Your precious Little Flower go become source of the greatest good: Make Your will be done!”
During the process to declare Thérèse a Saint, her sister, Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, testify about the words wey Thérèse talk for her deathbed: “When I die, I go let roses fall like rain; I wish to spend my life for Heaven doing good for this earth.”
These words wey she talk as she dey die show her true prayer: She no ask for healing for her body, and she no resist wetin God want or fear death for this earth. Instead, she surrender completely, as she trust say her death go serve God’s perfect plan and bring His grace to souls wey nobody fit count.
The life of Saint Thérèse show us in beautiful way how we suppose pray and wetin we suppose desire. We must let go of wetin we ourselves want—including everything wey we see as good based on our human understanding wey get limit—and begin trust only wetin God want, without shaking. As we desire the highest good wey the first two requests express—the glory of God’s name and the coming of His Kingdom—we begin desire the way to reach that goal: make His will be done for earth as e dey for Heaven.
To Desire Only Wetin God Want
To pray and desire the third thing wey we dey ask for the Lord’s Prayer, as we dey look am through the desire wey high pass for our heart, be like river wey dey flow from where e start for mountain, dey carry clean water wey dey give life go down to nourish everything wey dey im path.
Just as na where river start from dey determine im power and direction, our desire make wetin God want happen for earth dey flow from the source wey high pass: make dem hold His Name holy and make His Kingdom come.
If river lose connection with where e start from, e go dry or im water go stop to flow; na so too, if our effort to do wetin God want disconnect from the perfection of our highest desire for His holiness and His reign, e go bend comot from the right way. Instead make we submit with joy and pray, “Make wetin You want happen,” our prayer fit turn to “Make wetin I want happen.”
Na only when our longing for wetin God want properly agree with our highest desires, e go become strong flow wey nothing fit stop, wey dey carry us and everything wey God create go towards the fulfilment of His divine purpose.
No Be Just Request: Na Firm Decision
When this “river” dey flow from God’s glory and the establishment of His Kingdom, and we dey try make our life agree with everything wey His will mean for the real things we dey do, then to pray for wetin God want no go be just request again—e go become firm decision. Na to renew our commitment to live fully inside the New Covenant of Grace.
When you pray for wetin God want, you dey tell Am wetin you want make His will be? You believe say if you pray long enough and ask enough people make dem join you for prayer, God go change wetin E want make e match your own? If na so, then you no dey pray the Lord’s Prayer as Christ give am to us. We dey try use plenty requests for wetin we prefer take control God.
To talk say, “Make wetin You want happen for earth as e dey happen for Heaven,” mean say we turn to the Source of grace and desire only wetin go give Am glory, as His Divine Wisdom dey direct, for the best way, how His Kingdom go stand through the fulfilment of His perfect plan.
From the Greek Language
As this request dey follow the ones before am, e too start with aorist passive imperative—genēthētō—wey mean “Make e come to be” or “Make e happen.” As we don note before, the force of the aorist imperative fit be like to put three exclamation marks for the end of the plea—one for urgency, one for firm decision, and one for completeness: “Make e happen!!!”
Even though the verb dey for passive form, e dey express strong desire wey get confidence say wetin God want go happen fully and perfectly. Na God Himself be the One wey the words imply say dey act, the One wey dey bring His divine purpose to fulfilment for Heaven and for earth. This no be to fold hand accept fate, but na to surrender with boldness and trust to the wisdom and goodness of the Father. We no just accept anything wey happen—we dey ask with all our heart make wetin E want happen without delay, with firm action, and completely.
The Greek phrase hōs en ouranō kai epi gēs, when dem translate am word for word, mean “as e be for Heaven, na so too for earth.” E dey express longing make the perfect obedience wey dem dey give God with joy for Heaven become the example for life on earth. For Heaven, dem dey accept wetin God want at once, without hesitation or resistance. This request dey ask make that same obedience take root for our lives and for the world—make the love and order of Heaven shape everything for earth, starting with us.
To Live and Pray for Wetin God Want
The Catechism of the Catholic Church dey teach say Jesus’ commandment for John 13:34—“As I don love una, make una too love one another”—“put all the other commandments together and express everything wey E want” (CCC #2822). So, to know wetin God want and live by am na to love God and other people as E don love us. Jesus no only show us example of that love, na Him be the very source of am. To live in Him, to love with His love, and to give up our lives as sacrifice with Him na to fulfil wetin God want.
This request na prayer for ourselves, and na to renew our commitment to make our life agree with wetin God want. Na also powerful prayer of intercession for the whole Church and the world. The Catechism make this point as e quote Saint John Chrysostom, wey talk say:
“Because [God] no talk say, ‘make wetin You want happen inside me or inside us,’ but ‘for earth,’ the whole earth, so that dem fit drive error comot from am, truth fit take root inside am, all vice fit end for am, virtue fit flourish for am, and earth no go different from Heaven again” (CCC #2825).
This mean say when we pray, “Make wetin You want happen,” we dey pray make wetin God want reign everywhere.
Our Prayers Dey Work?
Our prayer dey work when we pray make wetin God want happen for earth? The Gospel of John answer this question: “We know say God no dey listen to sinners, but if person dey serve God with true devotion and dey do wetin E want, E dey listen to that person” (John 9:31). E dey wonderful to think say when we do wetin God want, E dey hear and answer every prayer wey we pray. When we begin serve God with true devotion—when we make our heart follow wetin E desire—our prayer dey get great power.
Na this Jesus reveal to Saint Faustina, as E talk say: “Then I go find for you sacrifice wey dey please Me, burnt offering wey sweet and get fine fragrance. And your power go great for anybody wey you pray for” (Diary #1767).
When we pray, Make wetin You want happen, we no dey only ask God make E act; we dey commit ourselves to join for wetin E dey do. We dey put every part of our life under His care and guidance, so that E fit work inside us, through us, and for us.
Gift wey Holy Spirit dey give: Knowledge
Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas connect “Make wetin You want happen…” with the Gift of Knowledge, one of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This gift from God dey help us see how everything relate to God, recognize how E arrange creation with His care and guidance, and make wetin we want agree with wetin E want.
The Gift of Knowledge no be human wisdom or understanding wey person gain through study or reasoning. Na light from God wey pass human power, wey dey lift the soul and help am to:
- See clearly say things for this earth no dey last.
- Direct everything wey we do towards wetin God want.
- See all creation as part of God plan to make us holy.
- Understand suffering, things wey we get, and things wey we achieve according to God purpose.
The Gift of Knowledge dey help us to:
- Look beyond how we hold on to worldly things, and recognize say dem na means to reach the goal of union with God.
- Trust say wetin God want dey perfect, even when e hard, we no fit understand am, or e dey painful.
- Accept say everything wey God allow dey arranged for our final good.
- Grow for faith as we recognize God care and guidance for every situation.
When we lack Knowledge, e dey make us resist:
- We dey resist wetin God want when e hard to understand.
- We dey hold on tight to earthly things as if dem be the final goal.
- We dey fear sacrifice or suffering.
- We dey doubt God goodness when we face trials.
The Gift of Knowledge dey overcome this resistance by giving us the grace to see and love wetin God want. As Saint Paul declare, “We know say all things dey work for good for those wey love God, those wey E call according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
When we truly “know” this, we no go fear again wetin fit come as we follow wetin God want. Instead, we go surrender to wetin E want, trust am, and love am—because we understand say na only wetin E want dey lead to holiness, peace, and happiness wey no go ever end.
The Beatitude: “Blessed Na Those Wey Dey Mourn”
Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas connect the third request for the Lord’s Prayer with the third Beatitude: “Blessed na those wey dey mourn, because dem go receive comfort” (Matthew 5:4). When we first look am, this connection fit surprise us. How mourning take relate to doing wetin God want?
Those wey sincerely seek to do wetin God want dey experience holy sorrow—mourning because of sin, the suffering wey sin bring for the world, and how souls dey resist God divine plan. This Beatitude no dey talk about earthly sadness, but about spiritual and holy sorrow—sorrow wey dey make our heart agree with wetin God Himself desire. Jesus show this deep sorrow when E enter the Garden of Gethsemane. E tell Peter, James, and John: “My soul dey sorrowful reach the point of death. Make una remain here and keep watch” (Mark 14:34). Jesus no dey sorrow because His death dey near, but because of the sins wey E go die for, and especially because of those wey go reject His Passion wey dey bring salvation.
Saint Paul express this holy sorrow for the people of Israel wey reject Jesus:
“I dey talk true for Christ, I no dey lie; my conscience join the Holy Spirit to bear witness for me say I get great sorrow and pain wey no dey stop for my heart. Because I fit even wish say make curse fall on me and make I dey separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own people by birth” (Romans 9:1–3).
Those wey dey mourn for spirit in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary dey recognize how sin dey scatter the right order of things, and dem dey long for God Justice and Mercy. Apart from sorrow for their own suffering, dem dey mourn because of:
- Their own sins and how dem fail to love God perfectly.
- The sins of the world, wey dey wound the Body of Christ.
- The way people dey oppose wetin God want, wey dey block the reign of His Kingdom.
Even with this deep sorrow, dem still remain faithful, dey trust say God plan perfect and say wetin He want go happen.
Jesus promise say people wey dey mourn for this holy way go get comfort—no be only for eternity, but even for this life. This comfort no dey come because suffering don end, but na from the grace, peace and strength wey dey flow when we bring wetin we want into line with wetin God want, just as Jesus do for the Garden. So, when we pray, “Make wetin You want happen for earth as e dey happen for Heaven,” we dey ask for the grace to mourn the right way—to sorrow because of sin, to accept wetin God want with humility, and to trust say His perfect plan, even though e dey beyond our understanding, go finally bring joy and comfort into our lives and the lives of everybody.
Make Our Desires Agree with God’s Own
When the strong desire to get wetin we want, instead of only wetin God want, hold us captive, we dey lose courage, and this fit lead us to lose all hope. But when na only the highest glory of God and the coming of His Kingdom we dey seek, we go desire the means to reach that highest goal: make wetin He want happen for earth as e dey happen for Heaven. Think about wetin you dey pray for and wetin you desire. You sure say dem dey in line with wetin God want? You fit only dey sure if your prayer dey in line with Christ own.
How to Know Wetin God Want and Dey Sure
You know wetin God want for your life and for everybody? Yes, you know—but at first, na only the general things. You know say:
- God want make people know, love, honour and glorify His Name: Make dem hold Your Name holy.
- God desire make His Kingdom reach perfection for our hearts, for the Church and for the world: Make Your Kingdom come.
- Wetin God want must happen as e dey happen for Heaven: Make wetin You want happen for earth as e dey happen for Heaven.
But to know wetin God want for particular situations, we need to let go of the things we hold on to deep inside us. Na why God dey call us to pray as we surrender ourselves completely: “No be wetin I want…” Na this part of the request hard pass—yet na im dey purify us and set us free.
To use words wey go challenge us more: You dey long make your own will become nothing inside the light of wetin God want? Jesus make Saint Faustina one promise about the power of her prayer. He talk say e go become “sacrifice wey dey please God, sacrifice wey dem burn finish, wey full of sweetness and sweet smell,” and say e go get great power for anybody wey she pray for. But how this one fit happen? Jesus show her the condition wey must dey: “Dem must wipe you out, destroy you, and you must live as if you don die for the deepest, most hidden part of your being. Dem must destroy you for that hidden depth wey human eye never reach…” (Diary #1767).
Even though these words sound harsh, dem show the burning desire wey we must get: make God divine plan consume everything we want, everything we prefer, our hopes and the things we hold on to—no be to make us less than who we be, but to free us from ambitions wey no dey in line with God plan and wey dey block our growth in holiness. Na only when we surrender ourselves completely to wetin God want, without holding anything back, we dey discover say He dey carry out His plan through our prayer. Our “becoming nothing” no mean say our will go destroy, but say e go rise to perfection, where wetin human being desire go become completely one with God perfect desire—dem no go oppose each other again, but dem go dey in complete harmony.
To Believe Say Wetin God Want Dey Perfect
God reveal to Prophet Jeremiah: “Because I know well the plans wey I get for una—na the LORD talk—plans for una well-being, no be for trouble, so that I go give una future wey get hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). He declare to Prophet Isaiah: “Because My thoughts no be una thoughts, and una ways no be My ways—na the LORD talk. Just as the heavens high pass the earth, na so My ways high pass una ways, and My thoughts high pass una thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).
Think about these passages as you consider the life of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. No be wetin God want say she go heal from her sickness when she still young, at twenty-four years. Instead, His divine plan na say her short life go continue to shine His glory until the end of the world and throughout eternity.
If Sister Thérèse live long life, she for leave this kind spiritual legacy wey no go ever die? We no know. But wetin we know be say the way she offer herself, her suffering and her death become light wey dey shine, wey inspire countless souls to grow more in holiness.
Na why we dey come near God like children wey trust Him. Even though we fit no understand His divine wisdom, we believe say His ways high pass our own well-well. Na only wetin He want we desire, and na because He want am! Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
With humility, tell yourself the truth before God. Try to dey talk these words throughout each day this week: “No be wetin I want…”
- Wetin dey come your mind when you talk am?
- Wetin you still dey hold on to?
- Wetin you dey try to persuade God to do for you?
Once you don identify the desires wey come from your own will, step back and surrender them. If wetin we desire no be part of God perfect will, all the prayer for this world no go make am happen. We no fit use tricks control God or change Am, because na Him be Perfection Itself.
Once you don identify your desires, try surrender them to God as you pray like pikin wey trust im Papa: “Make Your will come to pass!” Pray am with all your heart! Beg make the perfect order and love of Heaven come down to earth—to you, your family, the Church, and the world. Make you no desire anything apart from God will. Nothing go give you glory pass this. Nothing go give Am glory pass this.
Dey reflect often say to do God will no be the final goal itself—na the way to reach the greatest goal: God Himself. No adventure big pass this one. No joy deep pass this one. Get hope for the journey, and pray make God lead you to the glory wey E desire to give you. Pray make E allow you taste small of the blessed happiness wey E don prepare for those wey love Am.
Make we Pray:
Father wey holy pass all, our Father, You wey dey reign with glory inside the souls of the saints and desire to reign for my life and all over the world, I come before You with humility and love, as I dey pray with all my heart: Make Your will come to pass for earth as e dey for Heaven.
I offer myself to You, even as I weak and full of sin, and I consecrate myself completely to You for Your glory and to fulfil Your divine will. Make Your will come to pass inside me, so that Your Kingdom go reign inside me and give me share for Your holiness.
I join this prayer with Jesus, Your Son, and I dey pray in communion with all the angels and saints for Heaven. No be only my heart make You change, but the hearts of all Your children for earth too. Free us from sin, selfishness, and fear, and open our eyes to see only You—to long for nothing apart from Your perfect will.
Da Your Gift of Knowledge on me, so that I go mourn over everything wey dey offend You. Fill my mind well-well with divine wisdom, so that I go recognise wetin I must do to make Your Kingdom spread for the whole earth. Purify my soul and remove everything wey dey resist Your will, so that I go become pure instrument of Your love and mercy.
I love You, Father wey love pass all. Teach me to love other people as You don love me, because na so Your will dey come to pass. And when my love dey weak, when e dey hard me to surrender, help me to repeat the perfect prayer of Your beloved Son: “Father, if You want, take this cup comot from me; still, no be my will, but make Your own come to pass” (Luke 22:42).
As I dey surrender willingly and trust the power and perfection of Your most Holy Will, make I embrace every cross wey I carry, every suffering wey I endure, and every trial wey I face. Amen.
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