The Beauty of Surrender - Your Nightly Prayer - February 15th
The Beauty of Surrender
Your Nightly Prayer
by Kyle Norman
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42
SOMETHING TO PONDER
I once applied to be the worship leader at my denomination’s summer camp. I was frequently at the camp and was always in awe of the worship leaders. I wanted this position desperately. For an entire year, I prepared for this position. I sat on committees so that I could connect with those who would be on the hiring board; I cultivated relationships and tasks aimed and increasing my credibility. I attended seminars and training sessions to refine my liturgical, musical, and leadership skills. By the time the position was advertised, I felt I was at the top of my game, and the position would most certainly be mine.
The position came and went with no change to my life. I felt gutted. It felt as if God had yanked the carpet out from under me.
It can be easy to pray, “not my will but yours be done.” Its counterpart in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”, rolls off the tongue with ease; we barely give it much thought. And if we do, we often assume that God’s will equals instances of divine blessing or miracle. “Thy will be done” becomes a fancy way of asking God to shower us with good things.
But this prayer is more radical than we often realize. Surrendering ourselves to God’s will also involves being open to God’s “not-will.” The fact is, if we want God’s will to come about in our lives, then we must also allow God to define the way forward. This means there are things and situations that God may lead us away from. Allowing God’s will to take hold involves putting aside our own desires, and let’s be honest, this is not always the easiest thing to do.
Before we jump into praying ‘not my will but yours be done,’ let us remember the context in which we find these words. Jesus prays these words while deep in the Garden of Gethsemane. He casts himself upon the ground, sweating drops of blood, pleading that the Father take the cross from him. Yes, this prayer shows beautiful surrender, but the backdrop of this prayer is Christ’s surrender to the cross. Jesus did not find this an easy prayer to pray. Embracing the Father’s will meant accepting his betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion. But as Jesus reveals, surrendering to the Father’s will leads to resurrection.
We may not always understand the subtle nuances of God’s plan, but the fact that God’s will is beyond our preferences or desires is ultimately a good thing; it means that God is in control. We don’t force God’s will; we don’t manage it, wield it, or manifest it. When we surrender to God’s will, we free ourselves from living in a mold not designed for us. We can stop our striving and trust that we live within God’s pleasure and delight.
Do you feel you are trying to force yourself into a box that, despite your best efforts, will not open for you? Do you feel that you are trying to walk in a way that seems contrary to your very soul? What if you stopped trying to make something happen and simply allowed God’s will to happen to you? Can you surrender to God’s will, regardless of what it means? Regardless of what God’s will looks like for you today, you can be sure that the Father’s desire is for you to live a spiritually fulfilled and abundant life.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father;
How easy I can mistake your will for my own plans. As your child, O Lord, I wish to live in holy dependence. I wish to follow the directions that you set for my life. Guide me by your Spirit, O Lord.
In the silent places of my heart, teach me to pray “not my will but yours be done”, and give me to boldness to accept the implications of this prayer. When you lead me away from worldly pleasures, help me be satisfied in you alone; when you ask me to flee from the praise of ego or self-focus, set my gaze upon your holiness. Lord, help me to know my life as one lived in response to your guidance.
As Jesus cast himself down in the garden, so I bow before your holiness. May your will be done in my life, as it is in heaven.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. How often do you seek direction from God before charging ahead with a plan or a desire?
2. Have you ever noticed that the petition “give us today our daily bread” occurs after the petition for God’s will to be done? We pray that God’s will is done before we pray for our desires to be accomplished.
3. Why is it significant that Jesus prays this prayer of surrender from Gethsemane? What does this tell us about the Christian life?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: @Pexels/Ankit Sihag
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