On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Chris McClarney's “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” is a congregational prayer built on a line from the Lord's Prayer. It begins with a longing in the heart, the admission that in this moment there is nothing the singers want more than God himself.

The verses describe a humble bowing and a surrender of everything, then ask the Lord to do whatever he wants. The chorus turns the request into a refrain: let your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven, let your will be done. A promise follows that wherever he leads, they will follow. In the bridge the singers ask to be filled and then sent out, so the prayer is not only for a moment of worship but for the days that come after it. The final section shifts to praise, giving all the honor, glory and power to God the Father forever. The slow build and the simple wording suit a gathering that wants to wait on God rather than hurry through a set. It works as an opening to a prayer meeting, as a response after a sermon on the kingdom, or as a personal song for a person who wants to hand over plans and ask for direction.

The kingdom and will of God in the Lord's Prayer are Matthew 6:10. Delighting to do God's will is Psalm 40:8, and glory and power belonging to him is 1 Chronicles 29:11.