We heard in the weekend message that “faith is not the belief that God will do what we want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.” You see, as we discussed throughout our Bible study time earlier this week, God knows everything. He is also just. That means that God does what is right, according to His perfect, unlimited knowledge. This understanding should impact our prayer lives. It should lead us to surrender, surrendering our own desires and needs to His will, trusting that He will respond justly and rightly to our prayers to Him.
There is no better example of someone who showed us what it looks like to surrender to God the Father’s will than Jesus. We learn in Luke 22 that shortly before His arrest and crucifixion on the cross to pay the price for our sins, Jesus got alone to pray before God the Father. Now, this prayer is extraordinary not only for what Jesus prayed, but also for giving us a glimpse of what was going through His mind, knowing the pain and suffering He was about to endure. Here is what He prayed: “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine” (verse 43). Clearly, Jesus was overwhelmed by the knowledge of the suffering that He was about to face. In fact, Scripture tells us that “He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood” (verse 44). Despite the agony He experienced, He had a spirit of surrender to God the Father’s will. What a remarkable example He set for us. More than He wanted His “cup of suffering,” which was exceedingly great, to be taken away, He wanted God the Father’s will to be done. After He prayed this prayer, “an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him” (verse 43). God the Father did not answer His prayer with “Yes,” but He answered with comfort as the angel from heaven ministered to Him and gave Him strength to keep going.
We know that Jesus’ “cup of suffering” was not taken away from Him after He prayed to God the Father, and that is because of you, me, and all of the people who have ever lived and will live. Jesus faced the suffering on the cross so that He could pay the price demanded for our sins, death, and rescue us from sin and death.
When it comes to your prayer life, do you approach prayer demanding what you want, or do you surrender to God’s will? I urge you to come before God in prayer with a spirit of surrender, knowing that God will always do what is right, according to His infinite knowledge and His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Surrender to your Heavenly Father’s will today.
Take a few moments to pray to God now. As you present any needs and requests before Him, come before Him with a spirit of surrender, knowing that He holds all knowledge and that His plan is trustworthy. Ask Him to help you develop this spirit of surrender so that this attitude becomes a regular habit in your life.
“God, I want Your will to be done in and through my life. I surrender…”
The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. 2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.
The Last Supper
7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” 23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.
28 “You have stayed with me in my time of trial. 29 And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right 30 to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”
34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”
“No,” they replied.
36 “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! 37 For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”
38 “Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”
“That’s enough,” he said.
