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39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

There are fewer verses in all Scripture that I quote more in my personal prayer life than these words of Jesus: "Not my will, but yours be done." I quote these words because I don't have the strength to find the words on my own. I need to borrow Jesus' faith to trust in the Father's plan. On an almost daily basis, I find myself pulled back to that place with Jesus, after the last supper and prior to the crucifixion, where He was struggling with the Father about desperately wanting his life to go in a different direction or at a different pace than its seemingly inevitable trajectory. So, I pray in the words Jesus used. (Thank you, Jesus, for inviting me into your personal prayer and sharing it with all of us who need these words.)

Of course, I am not facing a tortuous death like he was. But aren't we all called to daily carry our crosses and follow Jesus; and as part of this calling, telling God in all frankness, "Father, I don't especially like this cross I have to carry right now. Yet not my will, but yours be done."

The Christian life is always one of submission, surrender and humility before God. This is what Jesus was modeling for us in his emotional prayer to the Father. He was laying his heart before the Father, asking for any way out, and yet still willing to accept the cup that He wished to God he did not have to drink: his crucifixion for our salvation.

When we pray, we can come to the Father with our full desires and everything that is on our hearts, trusting that God listens, cares and understands. Jesus relates with us deeply and fully. And then in the end, when we have laid it all before God our loving Father, we can borrow Jesus' words when we cannot find our own strength: "Not my will, Father, but yours be done." We can trust in God's perfect plan. Through Jesus, we can have the faith that God's plan is perfect where ours is not. We can trust that God has our back and will always take care of us, no matter if we get what we ask God for, or not. So, in the end, after everything else we need to say has been said, the best we can ask for is for the Father's will to be done, just as Jesus did.

We pray: God, bless our prayer lives. Thank you that we can come to you with all our cares, and that you always listen with the fullness of grace and respond according to your perfect plan. Amen.

Pastor Bev

pastorbev@livinglord.org