Your Will Be Done #215

Matthew 26:42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done."

The New Testament is replete with the prayers of Jesus. He prayed in front of people, with His disciples, and alone. It was His prayer life that so impressed the disciples that they asked Him to teach them to pray. Although Jesus was a great teacher the disciples did not ask to be teachers. They asked to pray as Jesus prayed.

Have you ever had something to pray about that was hard? I am sure you have. You have struggled with decisions, with needs, with alternatives and could not make a decision. Jesus had prayed many times but no doubt His most difficult and challenge prayer came in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was praying with the disciples who were having difficulty staying awake. After all it was in the middle of the night He had caught them a second time asleep. As he returned to his place of prayer in the Garden He prayed a most profound of prayers.

His prayer was a result of His understanding of what was coming next in his life and that was death. He was headed to the cross to die for all of mankind. He also knew that He was going to suffer much. The cup he referred to was the “cup of suffering.”

His suffering would be more than physical torture, rejection and pain. He was to suffer the weight of the sin of the entire world upon Him as Savior. His suffering was the punishment for sin that He Himself would bear for all mankind from every tribe and nation. He prayed to God the Father to remove that suffering, but then said, “But your will be done.” That is a hard prayer to pray. He was leaving in the hands of the God the Father His life and His death. He was willing to suffer in order to glorify God and bring forgiveness and salvation to all creation.

You are not being called upon to die for humanity, but you are being called upon to yield your will to His will; “not what I will, but what you will.” God does know best. He loves you and has His perfect will that is found in your surrender to His will and His Spirit. Let your prayer be as Jesus’ prayer.

Won’t you say with Jesus, “Your will be done.”

______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

I used to have a plaque that hung on the wall in my office, (when I had an office) that read "PRAYER CHANGES THINGS." I was more concerned at that time that prayer grow the church that I pastored into one of those big churches. (later mega church) I never saw that happen. Prayer did change things. Prayer through the power of the One who answers prayers changed lives, including mine. 

I picked up a little phrase from someone along the way, It simply said, "Prayer should be our first choice not our last chance." I have come to the place in my life that prayer is both my first choice and my last chance. I continue to ask for your prayers.

I am so thrilled!! I get the tube out of my liver on Friday. The ones I had before were in for almost two years, not two weeks. I praise the Lord. Pray that when the liver is checked the tube has done its work. The biliary needs to be open to allow the flow of bile from the liver. These two weeks have been not so easy. I have continued to have lots of pain and some fever. I don't like either. Thanks so much for your prayers. Continue to pray for Sandy.  

Sandy and I are on hold for our Anniversary Celebration. Several of you have written about the DQ and Paradise Bakery night out on the town for our anniversary and are not satisfied that Sandy got what she deserved. I agree. 

Thanks for your correspondence with me. I try to answer every email I receive. I am so blessed to have all of you. 

May God bless you today with a peace that passes understanding. 

DGW