God’s Will Should be Our Will

While watching a popular T.V. 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.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, He asked the Lord three times to take the cup of suffering from Him 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. We all will have our own Gethsemane. We all will get to a place where even though we aren’t sure of the outcome or 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 You and Your dedication to us. Bring to our remembrance that all of Your thoughts toward us are 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, 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 Sis. Pat Towns