Draw Near to God Through Surrender
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 26:39 (NKJV) He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
In the Scripture above, Jesus was praying about becoming the sin offering for the world. He prayed to the Father to see whether there was any alternative. He did not know whether it was possible, which is why He prayed, “if it is possible”. This is the only prayer we have observed in all of Jesus’ recorded prayers that mentions “if it is possible”. Jesus then prayed, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”. He was praying about God’s will for His life. Therefore, when we talk about the prayer of consecration, what we mean is praying about God’s will for your life.
Jesus was praying the prayer of consecration, which is essentially a prayer of surrender and dedication, in which we seek God’s will and submit our own desires to His. It is a life lived in a “yoked” relationship with Jesus, where we allow Him to be the stronger partner in our calling. When we pray the prayer of faith to change a situation or receive a promise, we do not say “if”, because we already know God’s will from His Word, but in consecration, we pray “if” because we are seeking to discover God’s blueprint for our future.
Jesus was modelling for us what it means to consecrate our lives by submitting our will to God. It is a complete surrender to God, which means we are not interested in our own opinions or the views of others, except in the will of God for our lives to be revealed by Him. That is the right attitude and posture to adopt when we seek God’s will for our lives.
EM Bounds: “As prayer is the condition of full consecration, so prayer is the habit, the rule, of him who has dedicated himself wholly to God.”
James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We must desire to be in God’s presence to seek His face and His will for our lives. It is a spiritual discipline that must be cultivated, and the process cannot be hurried. We long to be in His presence, and we should ask God for wisdom, especially at the crossroads of our lives.
Reflection: How often do you pray the prayer of consecration? How does the way Jesus prayed challenge you to surrender more fully to God’s will?
Sermon Series： Surrendering Your Will to God
