“Not my will, but Your Will, be done…” - Nicole Madia
As followers of Christ, these words should bring ease, comfort, and peace knowing that our Heavenly Father is sovereign over all things and is in every detail of our lives. So why is praying for His Will to be done over our own so difficult at times?
To put it plainly- we want control. If we know our plan for our life on this side of Heaven is “good” and “God-honoring”, then we believe in our finite minds that God should be able to just “bless” whatever it is that we want….right? That’s not always the case, my friend.
Does God want to bless His children with good gifts? Absolutely! James 1:17 emphasizes that “every good and perfect gift is from above.” However, we oftentimes think God should be giving those gifts to us because we’ve earned them or we think it should be done in a certain way- OUR way to put it simply. Does that sound familiar to you? If you’re anything like me, I’ve felt forgotten or side-swiped when the thing I’m asking God for is not answered in my way or the answer is simply “no.” Praying “Let Your Will be done” was very difficult for me at one point in my life. I felt like I had no control over the situations I was praying about and I so desperately wanted God to make things happen. Whether it’s about a job, health diagnosis, clarity on big decisions, a relationship, etc., we’ve all been there.
The funny thing is, we think we have control over things we never had control over in the first place. God is God…we are not. The more I walk this life with Christ, the more I realize how little I know what’s best for me. In His loving and gracious nature, God always brings me back to the only thing that can bring me peace in any circumstance- Himself.
If you struggle with this way of thinking, I believe the Holy Spirit wants to encourage you today with these three action steps:
Abide. As followers of Christ, we are to abide or dwell within God’s presence daily by spending intentional time reading the Word, praying, and actively walking in obedience to wherever He is leading us. By doing these things, your relationship with Jesus becomes deeper and intimate, you find joy and strength no matter what is going on around you, and your faith grows stronger. True fruit will be produced when these actions steps are done with intentionality and knowing God’s character. You can’t know God apart from Bible reading and prayer. (John 15:4-11).
Surrender. Remember that control issue we mentioned earlier? We need to bring ourselves back to God’s promises and remind ourselves of His character. If we believe in a sovereign God who promises in His Word to never leave us nor forsake us, then why not just give it ALL to Him? Easier said than done….I know. If you truly want what God’s best is for you, refer to Matthew 6:33 which says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." When you seek what is honoring, pleasing, and glorifying to God first and foremost, all other needs in your life will be met in a way that aligns with God’s perfect Will for your life.
Trust. Trust comes with surrender. As finite human beings, we tend to make things more complicated than God intended because we base the circumstances we face off of our own understanding and perception. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Peace comes, where trust begins. Although peace and trust is a process, God always comes through and promises to be with you. He cares very much about the things you care for and you can trust Him with those precious things you try to hold so tightly onto.
You know who also felt discouraged and prayed for God to change His Will? Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was incredibly frightened of what was to come in order to save the world from sin and death. He prayed, crying out to God asking if there was another way to spare him of the pain and anguish he was about to face for you and I. However, Jesus Himself surrendered to his Father knowing what God called him to do, despite his fear. Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Your Will be done” even when it was painful (Matthew 26: 39). Because of Jesus’ obedience to God’s Will, we now have full access to the Creator of the universe and can have true joy and peace eternally within God’s presence sparing us from sin and death forever.
Jesus understands, friend. He sees your prayers, hears your prayers, and understands how you feel. He will give you the grace, strength, and peace to endure. On the other side of trust and surrender to His Will, is FREEDOM. Freedom from trying to make things happen. Freedom from the “what ifs”. Freedom from things not looking the way you think they’re supposed to. God is our Heavenly Father who redeems, frees us from ourselves and gives us Himself as we trust and rely on His perfect plan. God is good. God is faithful. God’s Will is PERFECT.