God’s Will Should be Our Will

Scripture: Matthew 26:39 - He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

While watching a popular TV drama about a Pastor of a mega church and his family woes, the T.V. Pastor prayed a very powerful prayer. As his church was being stolen from him, his family being torn apart, and his health failing he prayed; “Not my will, but Yours, oh Lord, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else”. He prayed this prayer not knowing how things were going to turn out. He prayed this prayer after everything he tried had failed. This fictional preacher prayed a prayer that many believers are afraid to pray. When interviewed about his role, instead of talking about the success of the show, he talked about his belief in God, his acceptance of Christ, and his opportunity to share the gospel to millions with his talent of acting.

Wow, what a prayer: “Not my will, but Yours, oh Lord, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else”. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, He asked the Lord three times to take the cup of suffering from Him that was about to happen and after each request He added but not My will but Your will. Honestly, this is a difficult prayer to pray. If we are truthful, saying to the Lord; not my will, but Yours, oh Lord, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else requires spiritual maturity, extreme trust, and strong faith. In reality, we all will have our own Gethsemane. We all will get to a place where even though we aren’t sure what the outcome will be or even how we will get to that end; we will cry out to the Lord saying, I’m no longer fighting You, Lord; I am no longer running Lord; instead, I am submitting to Your will; no matter what it is. Those words translate to, not my will but Yours, oh Lord, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for not trusting you enough to say, not my will, Lord, but Your will even in uncomfortable situations. Father, forgive us for doubting Your word that ensures us of Your dedication. Bring to our remembrance that Your Word tells us that You know the thoughts that You think toward us and that those thoughts are of peace and not of evil. Give us the intellect to call out to You when we lack direction, the strength we need to rest fully in You, and the faith to lean completely on You without fear because You care for us. Lord, we know not all situations will feel good to us but ultimately Your way and Your will is always best. Thank you, Father, for Your faithfulness in our lives, for Your grace and Your mercy, and for Your Son, Jesus Christ who was obedient even to death so we can live. In the matchless name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

(by Patricia Towns)