Not my will but Thine, Lord
Jesus displays the example of how we should respond to trials. So many times I pray that God will grant my will. But I have learned the wisdom of imitating the prayers of Jesus.
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not My will, but thine, be done.” Hebrews 11:6
When our oldest son Jonathan developed mental illness at age 18, I prayed for 15 years—daily, nightly, many times minute by minute that God would heal him from his dreadful disease. My friend and neighbor Sarah Bennett said God told her to help me get through our trial with the Word. For a year, I went over every week day at 6:30 AM to have my heart and soul comforted and encouraged with words of wisdom from God, pouring forth from her to me.
Sarah kept a box of tissue on her coffee table, because many mornings all I could do was weep. Besides sorrow, I was fighting anger. Why would God take a young gifted man who wanted to be an evangelist and/or music director and allow him to have this atrocious debilitating illness? I told God, “Jonathan goes faithfully and shares Your gospel. Did You know there aren’t many young men who do this? You must have made a mistake—You have the wrong guy!”
As I cried, Sarah told me it was okay. Tears are a way of melting a heart filled with grief. She uplifted my spirit, reminding me that there are bottles in heaven filled with our tears. These tears will become diamonds that someday we can lay at the Masters’ feet. She continued:
“When God wants to do something wonderful, He takes something difficult.
When He wants to do something spectacular,
He takes something impossible.”
Psalm 126:5-6 says, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious see, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
How should I pray? I try to remember to always follow my requests with, “yet not my will, but Thine be done.”
Our tears become the fertilizer for our seed—the seed of our sacrifices we make for God. We drop a seed, and a tear; we drop another seed and yet another tear. Because we do this, God says we doubtless will have a harvest. We cannot doubt! The Lord of the harvest has made us a promise! He cannot lie!
The tears we shed last week in our heart were the fertilizer for the seeds we are sowing this week. We cannot regret the fertilizer.
Romans 8 talks about Jesus praying with groanings that can’t be uttered. Even Jesus’ desires came from the depths of His soul. Jesus understands our longings and emotions.
Sometimes I picture, as I take my most earnest prayers to the Father, a lawyer pleading his client’s case before a judge. As a lawyer is tenacious and delineates his pleas in a well-planned manner, so must I plead my case before my heavenly Judge. In this case, my heavenly Judge is also my loving Father.
Jesus’ prayer in Scripture which is to be our model says:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen
Do not be afraid Christian. Your faith isn’t based on how strong you are, but on how strong your God is! God will help us as He promises. Dear Jesus, “Not my will but Thine, Lord.” by Ron Hamilton.
When Jesus Christ my Savior prepared for Calvary’s hill,
He went into the garden and sought His Father’s will.
I read about His anguish and feel His sorrow there.
I see Him humbly kneeling and listen to His prayer.
Refrain
Not my will but Thine, Lord; Lead me to Calvary.
Make my life a living sacrifice, crucified for Thee.
My Lord became a servant, a man of lowly birth.
He laid aside His glory to dwell with sons of earth.
But now He is exalted, let every tongue proclaim!
And some day all shall praise Him and magnify His name.
Lord Jesus, I surrender—my will shall be Thine own.
I lay aside ambition and bow before Thy throne.
I’ll give myself for others as Thou didst die for me.
Lord, send me forth with power to live my life for Thee!
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