Not My Will, but as You Will
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.
John 6:38 (NKJV) For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will” three times. He set an example of how we should pray to be in God’s will and have His leading in every major decision of our life. When Jesus prayed, He did not pray to receive anything from the Father, but to become the sin sacrifice for the world. Jesus was praying about the will of God for His life when He said, “Nevertheless not my will, but as You will”.
A prayer of consecration seeks God’s will for our lives. We pray “if it is your will” because we do not know God’s will. Consecration can be a struggle for many Christians because it deals with the Lordship of Christ in our lives.
Being 100% man and 100% God, Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed by the sorrow of what He had to endure. The pain was so great that He shed blood. Yet Jesus was submissive, praying to the Father regarding His will, even when it involved paying a price. Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane with two wills but came out with only one—the Father’s will. It can be challenging for our flesh to live out a consecrated life because we need to bring our flesh into submission to the Spirit. It is choosing to be yoked with God and allowing Him to be the stronger partner in the calling of our lives. We will come to a point where we will not do what we like but what is right in God’s eyes and plan. It is not impossible, as God has made it possible through His Spirit living in us.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see that Jesus’ life was the culmination of a life of consecration. Jesus lived a consecrated life every day of His ministry. Likewise, we should submit to God when the answer to the prayer of consecration is not what we want or like. In fact, dying to our flesh by not doing what we want, but submitting to His plan for us, is a form of protection for us.
Reflection: How does Jesus’ example challenge and encourage you to submit to God’s will when your flesh wants to resist? What will of yours is He inviting you to surrender to Him right now?
Sermon Series: Walk into the future with a word given by God
