Go on, finish the prayer – Jesus’ style
by Steve Liersch
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Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’ (Matthew 26:39).
Read Matthew 26:36–46
The prayers below could be lacking something. If they sound familiar, give yourself a point.
- Dear God, please give us a fine day on Saturday so that the family gathering in the park can be a success and we all have a great time. Amen.
- Dear God, please help our dog respond to the medication so that she doesn’t have to suffer and gets well soon. Amen.
- Dear God, of all the beautiful people in the world, why is Grandma so sick? Please make her better so that we can spend Christmas together again. Amen.
These prayers are great. They call on God to do what we can’t do as people. Control the weather (1), provide healthy pets (2), and heal the sick (3). I have prayed these sorts of prayers all my life. It’s what I’ve been taught to do. It’s what I desire to have happen for the wellbeing of all … or is it?
Without sparking a huge debate so that my email inbox or phone doesn’t go ballistic, could it be possible that by stopping the prayers as I have, they are missing what God’s will is actually trying to bring about? As a result, am I open to that so that his will might be done?
Consider this:
- What if God sent rain because a drought was in progress?
- What if God wanted to show that some people care more about their pets than their family?
- Grandma has a beautiful faith. What if God is calling her to heaven?
Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals more than just his desire to have the cup of death taken away from him. Although it would suit him from a human perspective to be spared the impending agony, his prayer also shows how he is reliant on his Heavenly Father’s will to be done as he surrenders in complete obedience. ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will’ (verse 39).
Consider adding these words to your prayers more, and be at peace with God’s response.
Heavenly Father, help me to trust you more, so that your will is also my desire. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
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