Morning Brew: Friday, Oct 2

Are you courageous enough to pray like Jesus? At the end of Luke, the narrative slows down to a crawl as we walk through the final days of Jesus’ life. In an emotionally supercharged moment, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his death. In that hurricane of anguish, Jesus prays a prayer that is downright scary when we consider the practical implications:

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

“Not my will, but yours be done.” If anyone would have had a leg to stand on to make demands of God, it would have been Jesus. Even knowing the pain and agony about to rain down on him, not just the physical pain that would be classified as ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ today, but the emotional and spiritual pain of being separated from the Father on the cross, Jesus still had the courage to pray “not my will, but yours be done.”

Are you that courageous? Are you willing to pray that God’s will be done even if it’s not your will? What if God is calling you to a new career that will take a huge step of faith? What if God’s will for you is to never get that promotion? What if God’s will is for your child to never be the best in his or her class? What if God’s will is for that health issue to linger, to allow your pain to advance the gospel in ways you couldn’t imagine? What if God calls you to a life of poverty, a life of mediocrity and insignificance (from the world’s perspective)? Are you still willing to pray “not my will but yours be done?”

If you can flippantly say ‘yes’ to that question, then you truly haven’t wrestled with the implications that this statement can bring. One of the reasons I believe Jesus sweated drops of blood while praying this was because it was a genuine struggle. He knew the painful implications of praying that prayer, and he paused to count the cost. This is not a prayer that we walk into lightheartedly. Praying this prayer could change the entire trajectory of your life. This prayer indicates a complete death to self. Are you courageous enough to pray like Jesus?

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: Have you ever prayed this prayer in faith? How has God answered you?