“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’” (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

 

Just before He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He chose to spend the time He had left in conversation with His Father. That conversation, as recorded in the Gospels, is unlike any other in Scripture.

First, there’s the matter of what Jesus asked God to do. “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). In essence, He was asking His heavenly Father if there was any other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. His request points to the enormous suffering involved in Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus knew what was coming: physical, emotional, and spiritual agony beyond measure. And He wanted to make sure that it was absolutely necessary.

With that in mind, however, we must understand that the first part of Jesus’ prayer cannot be separated from the second part. The reality is that God said no to His Son’s request because there was no other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. A perfect sacrifice was required.

If Jesus’ prayer had been only that God remove the cup of suffering from Him, the events that followed would have been cast in a different light. Jesus would have been a reluctant participant in the crucifixion, trapped by God’s refusal to excuse Him from becoming a sacrifice.

But that’s not what happened because Jesus’ request was followed by these words: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). And those same ten words (or some variation of them) must accompany every sincere prayer that believers offer.

It isn’t just a matter of saying, “If You want to do it Your way, go ahead.” It’s a heartfelt acknowledgment that nothing else is more perfect than God’s will. Nothing else can surpass its wisdom. Nothing else can bring ultimate fulfillment and good. Praying these words is a way of embracing the truth that God’s will is more important than our preferences, our comfort, or even our well-being.

The Bible’s promises regarding prayer are exciting. But we should never mistake them for a wish list or an opportunity to get our way. When we embrace and actively seek God’s will, we get a front-row seat to His work in the world.

Maybe you’re at a crisis point in your life right now—a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You have your will; you know what youwant. Yet you can sense that God’s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, “Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done”? You will never, never regret making that decision.

 

Reflection question: How might praying for God’s will change your perspective on a situation in your life right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, &lsquo;My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT)
&nbsp;
Just before He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He chose to spend the time He had left in conversation with His Father. That conversation, as recorded in the Gospels, is unlike any other in Scripture.
First, there&rsquo;s the matter of what Jesus asked God to do. &ldquo;My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT). In essence, He was asking His heavenly Father if there was any other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. His request points to the enormous suffering involved in Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice. Jesus knew what was coming: physical, emotional, and spiritual agony beyond measure. And He wanted to make sure that it was absolutely necessary.
With that in mind, however, we must understand that the first part of Jesus&rsquo; prayer cannot be separated from the second part. The reality is that God said no to His Son&rsquo;s request because there was no other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. A perfect sacrifice was required.
If Jesus&rsquo; prayer had been only that God remove the cup of suffering from Him, the events that followed would have been cast in a different light. Jesus would have been a reluctant participant in the crucifixion, trapped by God&rsquo;s refusal to excuse Him from becoming a sacrifice.
But that&rsquo;s not what happened because Jesus&rsquo; request was followed by these words: &ldquo;Yet I want your will to be done, not mine&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT). And those same ten words (or some variation of them) must accompany every sincere prayer that believers offer.
It isn&rsquo;t just a matter of saying, &ldquo;If You want to do it Your way, go ahead.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a heartfelt acknowledgment that nothing else is more perfect than God&rsquo;s will. Nothing else can surpass its wisdom. Nothing else can bring ultimate fulfillment and good. Praying these words is a way of embracing the truth that God&rsquo;s will is more important than our preferences, our comfort, or even our well-being.
The Bible&rsquo;s promises regarding prayer are exciting. But we should never mistake them for a wish list or an opportunity to get our way. When we embrace and actively seek God&rsquo;s will, we get a front-row seat to His work in the world.
Maybe you&rsquo;re at a crisis point in your life right now&mdash;a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You have your will; you know what you want. Yet you can sense that God&rsquo;s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, &ldquo;Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done&rdquo;? You will never, never regret making that decision.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How might praying for God&rsquo;s will change your perspective on a situation in your life right now?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Praying for God’s will to be done gives us the spiritual perspective we need.