Authentic Prayer: Surrender

Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if it is your will, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, your will must be done, not mine.”
Luke 22:41-42

Even Jesus struggled to obey.

Jesus didn’t enter in the world ready for the cross. Even though he is God in human flesh, he was as full of human frailty as the rest of us. He faced potent temptation from Satan himself (Matthew 4:1-11). He had to consciously choose his Father’s plan and die to his own way (John 12:20-28). He needed to suffer to become complete (Hebrews 2:10-18).

The Lord’s most extreme struggle arrived in the final hours of his journey to death. As he considered the pain he would suffer—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual—he asked his Father if there was any possibility of bypassing the cross. His real anguish caused him to sweat blood. He decided he would gladly endure the cross to win humankind back to God. After prayer, he rose and walked resolutely down his Father’s appointed path.

Your most intense hours of prayer might come as you contemplate the cost of obeying God. You can’t hide your inner battles from him. Debate with him. Plead with him. Let him persuade you to surrender to his plan.

Inspired by Luke 22:39-46

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