November 12

Thy Will Be Done

Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” — Matt 26:39 BSB

One of the lessons we learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane is that all our prayers should end in submission to God’s will. It’s right to plead earnestly for what we desire—earnestly, but never without submission. We should remember that God has a plan for our lives, and what we want may not be in line with that plan. We should never insist on our will over God’s will.

There was once a man who wanted to pray but didn’t know what he truly needed. He laid down the letters of the alphabet and said, “Lord, I don’t know what I need or what to ask for. Please take these letters and arrange them into the prayer I ought to pray, and give me that.”

The best thing for us is always what God wills for us. Sometimes that may mean pain, loss, or sorrow; but God’s will is always love. In simple submission to His will, we will always find our greatest good. No prayer is pleasing to God that doesn’t end with the refrain of Gethsemane. This is also the path to peace. As we yield joyfully and lovingly to God’s will, letting go of our own, His peace will flow into our hearts like a river.

"Not as I will!" — the sound grows sweet
Each time my lips the words repeat.
"Not as I will!" — the darkness feels
More safe than light when this thought steals
Like whispered voice to calm and bless
All unrest and all loneliness.
"Not as I will," because the One
Who loved us first and best has gone
Before us on the road, and still
For us must all his love fulfil — we will
"Not as we will."