Not My Will, But Yours Be Done

Luke 22:41-44 (ESV)

41And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

When God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we pray them, there’s always a reason. And we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus, too, prayed an unanswered prayer. Jesus understands the emotions we feel to a greater degree than we can ever fully comprehend. And in His agony, He modeled what it looks like to pray—and trust—the will of God. It’s a model He first gave when He instructed the disciples (in the Lord’s Prayer) to pray, “your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).

He instructed it, then He lived it.

So when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we pray them, let us follow the example of Jesus and declare, “Ok Lord, not my will, but yours be done.” And let us also remember that when God’s will is a difficult cup to bear, He will always strengthen us through it.

𝘖𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦. 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯.