The Hardest Prayer To Pray

 THE HARDEST PRAYER TO PRAY

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” - Matthew 26:39

In the past several weeks, my blog messages have shown how Jesus modeled prayer for us. Along the way, we've learned about His desire to pray, the locations where He prayed and the posture of His prayer. Additionally, we learned about the duration of His prayers and, at times, the content of His prayers.

As we meditate on the subject of prayer, we must confess that it is easier to pray at certain times more than at other times. For instance, it is easier to pray and give thanks when things are going well, but it can be tough to praise God in the dark valleys.

In our text today, we find Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. This is a dark time for Him. He is facing the cross. It seems like the weight of the world is on His shoulders. It is an emotionally draining time for Jesus. He takes three disciples with Him, yet there comes a point where He leaves them in goes further into the garden and prays.

Notice our text says, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed...” Have you ever fallen on your face and prayed? Praying on your knees is a posture of surrender. But to fall on your face is an indication of humility and worship. When Jesus fell on His face, He did so with great emotion and stress. There, on His face, He prayed. Perhaps we should do the same from time to time.

The prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden is what I refer to as the hardest prayer to pray. Knowing the painful events that would lie ahead, Jesus prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Jesus knew that He would drink from the cup of suffering, receiving the wrath that you & I deserved. It wouldn't be pleasant. Even though He prayed for this cup to be removed, He still followed that request with this simple, yet profound request, “... nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

I consider this to be the hardest prayer to pray. Surrendering everything to the Father is not easy. Knowing all that awaited Him at the cross, Jesus basically said, “Whatever you want is fine with me.”

In His humanity, He wanted the cup to pass, but knowing all that was at stake, He surrendered His human will to the Father. His purpose in coming to earth pointed to this one awful event. Yet He was willing to endure it for the sake of His Father.

I must confess that there have been times I have tried to set boundaries in which God could work in my life. I've tried to set my own terms as I have sought to serve God. My flesh wants an easy, comfortable life. Yet God's will often leads us out of our comfort zone into the growth zone. He tends to take us to dark areas, where we have to depend upon Him for each step we take. He wants to make us stronger. Yet no one gets stronger by living in a recliner.

It is difficult to pray, “Thy will be done,” when a loved one is at the point of death or the future of your career is uncertain. We want to want walk in the sunshine daily, yet the rain is also necessary for fruit to grow. We'd like to avoid the tough days, the deep valleys and personal pain.

Yet Jesus faced the cross without holding anything back. He went to the cross in humble submission to His Father's will. As His followers, we are called to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily & follow Him. We are challenged to pray and live as Jesus did --- totally surrendered to the Father.

I must confess that there have been times I've come to God with my fists closed, trying to hold on to something. God wants me to come with empty hands, leaving everything to His will. If I pray, “Not my will, but thine be done,” my flesh tends to fear that God will take something important away from me. That's a sad commentary, isn't it? God can be entrusted with all these things.

Prayer is not meant for me to change God's will so it will conform with mine. Instead, prayer should be a time in which my will melts away so only His will remains. This may mean the end of a dream or goal. It may lead to a different conclusion than I sought. The loss of my will is not nearly as devastating as I make it out to be. When my heart is aligned with His, my will is lost in His.

At the most critical moments of our lives, it is tough to pray, “Thy will be done.” Yet ultimately, it is best that His will be done, rather than our own.

The most difficult prayer to pray is the petition we need to express daily: “Not my will, but thine be done.”