Prayer Thoughts, part 3
Two of Jesus’ most well-known statements are found in His final recorded prayer shortly before his arrest and eventual crucifixion. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26.39). “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matthew 26.42).
This is the third consecutive week we have turned our attention to prayer. Our goal is to understand prayer from God’s perspective. Jesus, in this example, demonstrates that He is indeed willing to practice what He also taught in Matthew 6.9-13. In that text He taught His disciples to prioritize a desire for the Father’s will above all personal desires. During His prayer in the Garden, Jesus illustrated this point in dramatic fashion.
I wish I could tell you that I understood everything perfectly about this interaction between the Father and Son. I don’t. I also suspect that there are things happening “behind the scenes” on the divine level that have simply not been revealed to us either because we do not need to know, or maybe we wouldn’t fully understand anyways. Regardless of whether or not this is so, there are a number of things I have learned from what is revealed in this exchange that I will share with you.
First, in His most trying time, Jesus turned to the Father. It is easy to turn elsewhere for strength. Jesus provides a pattern that all Christians should remember. There may be other sources that help, but should anything else strengthen a Christian more than communing with God in prayer?
Second, Jesus walked away with a clear mission. He knew the Father’s will was for Him to go to the cross. The Father had already revealed this, to some degree, through the Old Testament scriptures. When we turn to the Father with the hope of His will to be accomplished, we should be able to rise up and pursue that will because His will for us has already been revealed through the scriptures. As a family goal, I encourage us to concern ourselves with His revealed instruction – the Bible. If we can do this, I believe He can work out the details.
Third, Jesus sought most of all to mold His mind to that of the Father’s mind. If I accept that my heavenly Father truly knows best about any possible situation, then will this mindset alter how I approach God? If I understand this, then my priority will not be an attempt to get God to do things my way according to my desires. Instead, I will humbly approach Him as One who can do beyond what I can even ask or think (see Ephesians 3.20).
Prayer, as overwhelmingly seen in the scriptures, is an opportunity for me seek my Father’s attention in relation to HIS kingdom and in harmony with HIS will. When you pray for the Father’s will, will you be able to rise up and pursue that will regardless of the cost – like Jesus?