Thy Will Be Done

The Power of Will

In Christianity, the concept of God’s will over our own personal will is often presented as a surrender to some outside force. This can be a terrifying idea when many of the religious concepts we’ve inherited about God are themselves rooted in fear.

Across the centuries, Christians have debated whether humans have free will or whether all things are divinely orchestrated. Charles Fillmore, the mystic and metaphysician who co-founded Unity, offered a powerful reframe. He wrote extensively about will as an innate spiritual faculty and warned against what he called negative submission of the will to God.

“Many sincere Christians have tried to follow in the way of Jesus, and they have negatively submitted their will to God. But they have not attained the power or the authority of Jesus by so doing. The reason is that they have not raised their will to the positive spiritual degree. Jesus was not negative in any of His faculties, and He did not teach a doctrine of submission. He gave, to those who went forth preaching the Gospel, the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Charles Fillmore

In practical Christianity, the goal is not lowly surrender. When we speak of the spiritual ability called will, we’re talking about elevating our intention and aligning with our highest values. Not submitting to something harsh or punitive. The idea that we are meant to submit to suffering is inconsistent with the deeper promises of the Christian path.

Activating the power of will in a spiritual sense is intrinsically tied to what we believe about God. It is not about giving up our agency. It is about lifting our personal will to resonate with the Christ within.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ~ Colossians 1:27 (NRSVue)

This kind of activation is a process. It unfolds as our understanding of God and ourselves evolves. If God is the Source of all that is, then how could any will exist outside of God’s will? And yet we look around at suffering and ask, How could God allow this?

This tension arises in part from how we’ve personified the Divine. For many modern Christians, God is imagined as a cosmic personality, perhaps just slightly higher than humanity, yet still acting like a person. But early Christianity offered something different. In Acts 17, Paul quotes Greek poetry and describes God as “the one in whom we live and move and have our being.”

For Paul, God was not a distant ruler, but the ground of all being. Christ was the highest expression of that divine essence and this Christ nature was revealed in the life of Jesus and made present through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, then, is not separate from us. It is the indwelling presence of divine love, wisdom, power, and will.

When we say “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we’re not calling on something outside ourselves. We’re invoking this divine indwelling, aligning our human will with the deeper will of Love itself.

Aligning Personal Will with Divine Will

This is where spiritual practice comes in. Through affirmative prayer, meditation, or other contemplative disciplines, we can quiet the ego and tune in to the higher will within. This is not a will that forces or coerces. Divine will gently guides us into wholeness, clarity, and inspired action.

Personal will, what many call the ego or false self, is shaped by the ever-changing world around us. It reacts. It resists. It clings. It believes it must control everything to feel safe. And yet most people struggle to even will themselves into consistent habits, let alone lasting peace. As Paul wrote in Romans:

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…” ~ Romans 7:15 (NRSVue)

Paul recognized the limits of ego-driven willpower. His answer wasn’t more striving, but transformation through Christ. He discovered that alignment with divine will required releasing control and trusting the inner Christ presence.

Many of us resist this because of the harmful theology we’ve been taught. If you were raised with the idea that God’s will includes suffering, hardship, or divine punishment, you might understandably hesitate to “align” with that force. Too often, Christianity has glorified suffering as noble or necessary.

But the true spiritual path is not about remaining in suffering. It’s about resurrection, healing, and wholeness. God’s will for us is joy, fulfillment, and a peace that surpasses understanding.

God’s will is not pain; it’s purpose. Not fear, but freedom. Not judgment, but love.

The Role of Imagination and Understanding

Will doesn’t exist in isolation. In practical Christianity, will is closely connected to the powers of imagination and understanding. When we activate all three, we awaken our capacity to envision, comprehend, and choose with spiritual clarity. Together, they allow us to generate new ideas, discover creative solutions, and take inspired action.

When we intentionally align with these abilities, we are aligning with the Christ within. This is the very foundation of practical spirituality.

Activating the Power of Will in Daily Life

If you want to strengthen the spiritual faculty of will, don’t start with force. Start with clarity. Rather than trying to overpower your resistance, focus on aligning your will with the deeper truth of who you are. This is a process of intention, not intensity.

Here are a few practical ways to begin:

• Notice where your will feels scattered. Are you constantly reacting to outside pressures? Pulled in different directions? Take time to reflect on what choices are actually yours and which ones are inherited, habitual, or fear-based.
• Engage your understanding. Will without understanding can become rigid or controlling. Ask yourself: What is the deeper why behind this choice? Invite wisdom into your decision-making process.
• Use your imagination. Visualize what alignment looks like. What would it feel like to choose from your highest self? Let your imagination open up new possibilities that your ego alone may not see.
• Set intentions instead of ultimatums. Instead of saying, I have to do this perfectly, try: I intend to move forward with clarity and love. Intention creates spaciousness for will to grow.
• Affirm your alignment. A simple affirmation like,
  “My will is aligned with divine wisdom. I choose with clarity, and I act with love,”
  can re-center your choices in truth.

When your will, imagination, and understanding are working in harmony, you begin to move through life with greater purpose, confidence, and peace.

Living Into the Power of Will

At Folx with Faith, we believe that each of us is an expression of divine love—and that includes the way we choose, act, and live with intention.

We affirm that aligning with God’s will doesn’t mean losing yourself—it means discovering the most authentic version of who you are. It means trusting that divine love is within you, guiding your way, and calling you to participate in healing the world.

Want to explore more spiritual principles like this? Visit us at www.folxwithfaith.org and check out our events, courses, and free resources. We’re here to walk with you as you live into your sacred power.

How You Can Support Our Mission?

You can help us fulfill our mission by donating to Folx with Faith or starting a local group. It is our mission to create safe spaces to explore and experience spiritual wholeness. Folx with Faith supports the queer community, fostering a celebration of our authentic beings and empowering us to make a difference in the world. If you would like to contribute to this mission or would like to start a local chapter, please let us know. You can contact us or use the links below.

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