“Your Will Be Done”

And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Matthew 26:39-42

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:45-46

Do you feel that God is listening to you? Have you prayed that your spouse or your children would come to Christ, only to be met with a stonewall? Jesus also prayed. He agonized for hours and poured out His heart. But the Father’s answer was clearly, “No.” To provide salvation, God had to send Jesus to die on the cross. Even though Jesus felt as if His Father had forsaken Him, He prayed intensely and passionately because He trusted that God was listening.

When we pray, we may not see how God is working or understand how He will bring good through it all. So we have to trust Him. We relinquish our rights and let God do what is best. We must leave the unknowable to the all-knowing One. He is listening and working things out His way.

When we bend our knees to pray,

God bends His ear to listen.

Our Daily Bread – August 27, 2006