“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39 NASB)
It would probably not surprise you to hear that God wants us to pray to Him. However, it might surprise you, to know why He wants us to pray to Him. Believe it or not, God doesn’t desire your prayers because He’s confused about what needs done in your life. No doubt you have many needs, as all people do. And by all means you should bring those needs to God in prayer. But in all of your prayers, never forget the petition that Christ made while praying in the garden: “Thy will be done.”
As Jesus prayed in the garden, he was facing something far worse than you and I could ever imagine. The next day he would be crucified. And while the physical pain he was to endure would be unimaginable…the spiritual pain would be even worse. For during that time, while Jesus hung upon the cross, he would be separated from His Heavenly Father. Because during that time, rather than having perfect communion with one another, the Father would pour His righteous wrath out upon the Son, in order to pay the price for sinners like you and I. That’s what the cross was all about. And when you consider what Jesus would face, you can see why he prayed that the cup might pass from him. But his ultimate prayer was this: “Thy will be done.”
Your prayers should be the same way. Ask, but submit. Seek His will, but be willing to accept it when His will is not the same as yours. True prayer doesn’t involve us telling God how to run the world. It involves God telling us how to live our lives.
Jesus fulfilled the Father’s perfect plan for our redemption. But you and I must turn from our sin in repentant faith and give our life to Christ if we are to take part in that redemption. Otherwise, you perish in eternal Hell because of your sins.
We can be saved because Jesus the Son was obedient to God the Father. He prayed “Thy will be done” and then He did it. Make the commitment to follow Christ as Lord today. And make the commitment to pray like Jesus did. God doesn’t need your counsel…but you and I desperately need His.
Thank you Shane for this post. I am actually in the middle of preparation for a sermon over the scene in the Garden as depicted by Luke. It is a powerful and sobering passage.
Posted by: Travis | October 24, 2009 at 01:19 AM