Your will be done. Prayer, part 5.
When we look at “The Lords prayer”, there is a line in verse 10 that says this:
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
And maybe we say that line in that prayer almost automatically when we say it. But let’s stand still at that part of the prayer for a moment….and have a look at a prayer that Jesus prayed. To set the scene…:
Jesus knows that His earthly end is near… and He knows His life will end (humanly speaking) terrible…torture and death is waiting… and He is not looking forward to it. In His own words:
My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
Matthew 26:38
And Jesus prays to His father…. but get this part:
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Matthew 26:39
And He prayed it for a second time:
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Matthew 26:42
That does not sound like: yeah, I am ready for it and I enjoy what’s going to happen. On the contrary. And please keep in mind, this is Jesus, who is God, and He could have stopped it, right there and then. But He did not.
Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
He trusted His father and the plan His father had… in all circumstances… wow. Humble surrender and obedience.
How about us? When we pray…. do we really trust Him? Just like Jesus did? When we don’t get what we pray for, however much we think we need it…. do we trust Him? His plan is bigger….
Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
2 Samuel 10:12
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
James 4:15
If we trust Him in our prayers, and we let God in control… every prayer is answered. Maybe not in the way we wanted it, or in a way we would like… but in His way. No prayer goes unanswered…. God does listen, but please… trust Him and His plan… His will be done.
This was part 5 in this series on prayer. Click here for part 1, 2, 3 or 4 or 5
