By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 22:42
Part of life’s journey includes crosses. They are trials which we would rather avoid.
In this verse the Lord Jesus teaches us how to pray for deliverance from such trials.
He first says, ‘Father, if Thou be willing…’ He is expressing His desire to avoid the looming crucifixion which He designates as ‘this cup.’ Like a bitter cup of medicine which we wish we didn’t have to drink, so was the cruelty He was about to face on our behalf.
But the prayer doesn’t end there. If it did, His prayer would merely be an expression of His desire that God be willing to give Him what He wanted.
Instead He continues with ‘…nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ He says, ‘I’m submissively requesting this.’
Prayer is not intended as a means for me to get my way. It’s me aligning myself with God’s plan for my life. The Lord Jesus captures the perfect balance, enabling me to make my requests known unto God (Philippians 4:6) while still yielding to His will.
Maybe you are facing a health crisis, or a relationship breakdown over which you have no control, or a financial setback.
May your prayer be patterned after that of the Lord Jesus: ‘Lord, here’s what I want, if You want it. But if what I want is not what You want, all I want is for Your will to prevail.’
Father, there are outcomes I desire. If You are willing, please grant them. However, not my will, but Thine, be done. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.