A Consecrated Lifestyle
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 26:39, 42-44 (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.” …Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
The prayer of consecration is a prayer that seeks the will of God for our lives. We pray “if it is your will” because we don’t know the will of God. However, this prayer is not easy to pray because praying “not my will, but as you will” requires us to lay down our desires and wants at the feet of Jesus and acknowledge the Lordship of Christ in our lives.
Jesus was 100% man and 100% God, and His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the extent of shedding blood because of what He had to go through. Yet, Jesus was submissive to God by praying to the Father regarding God’s will, not just once but three times in v39, v42 and v44 respectively. Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane with two wills but came out with only the Father’s will. It can be challenging to our flesh to live out a consecrated life because we need to bring our flesh into submission to the Spirit. However, in choosing to be yoked with God, we are allowing Him to be the stronger partner in the calling of our lives. All of us will come to a situation where instead of doing what we like, we will do what is right in God’s eyes and plan. Although righteousness is imputed to us, sanctification and consecration is a lifelong process. Consecration is something that all Christians should be doing, and God has made it possible through the Holy Spirit living in us.
In His moment of despair, Jesus did not ask to receive anything. He asked, “if it is possible” (v39) because He didn’t know if it was possible, so He was praying to the Father to see if there was any alternative. Nonetheless, Jesus submitted to the will of the Father when He knew what he was supposed to do, even if it meant going through tremendous suffering.
From this passage, we learn from Jesus that we should pray about the will of God for our lives, submit ourselves to God’s will, and pray repeatedly until God’s will is known. Living a consecrated life is a choice, and when we learn to walk in His will by surrendering ourselves to Him, we find ourselves living a life with joy, satisfaction of the soul and contentment of the spirit.
John 6:38 (NKJV) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Sermon Series: It’s January 1st, 2023!
