Thy will be done!

Lord not my will but yours..........................................

This is a summary of the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. It was in agony, having the spirit of the father but being but a mere man. He saw the cross before him and agonized over what he was going to suffer. The scorn, the shame, the pain and all that BUT most of all the obvious rejection by people who would get to hear about him later but refuse to accept him.

Yes that was the level of the agony. So he prayed; three times over the same thing. Lord not my will but yours. It wasn't because of doubt that caused him to do that thrice, but travailing spirit in him. He prayed earnestly in such a way that his sweat became like drops of blood. He wasn't shouting neither was he exerting a particular force because if he was doing so; it would have woken the disciples up from their slumber. Rather, it was between him and God (remember Hannah?). Earnestly praying. Interceding so he became less of himself (mere flesh) and more of God. So he prayed, asking for strength that he needed for what laid ahead of him. So the question is, if he did not pray, what would have been the breaking point for Jesus?

That is a perfect example our master gave us before he left us. Before we encounter any temptation, there is always the battle of the wills. We need to spend more time praying and asking God for his will to be done before we even get to that doorstep of temptation. Asking for extra strength for each day. Simply saying not my will lord but yours................and follow it with deliver me from temptation. Take it as preparing yourself for an exam.