“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’” - Luke 22:41-42 NASB
Am I praying for God’s will or my comfort?
That’s an uncomfortable question. It’s one that was whispered to my heart recently. I don’t want to be honest about it. I want to say that, like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I pray for ‘not my will but God’s to be done.’ But I want my will. I want things to be my way. I want to convince God that my comfort ought to be His will. I want to wrestle with it until I win.
And it’s not even really about what I pray for. I can pray for my desires. I can pray for my comfort. But, when I pray, am I willing to concede that His will is better? Am I willing to submit to His will even when it looks different from my idea, when it doesn’t feel good?
That piece of surrender is an important one, because without it, I can begin to think that God just doesn’t care about me, that He doesn’t hear my prayers. We’ve all been there, so I’m not judging or condemning, but what if we are feeling that way because He isn’t answering the way we want? Because His answer is uncomfortable?
See, His good is about fulfillment, not comfort. His priority is first and foremost the state of our souls, not the external issues of our lives. We want him to fix the symptoms, and He is working on the root. (Also, God will not bless our disobedience, no matter how much we pray, so keep that in mind for whatever it’s worth.)
I’m not saying God doesn’t care about the little things. I’m not saying God won’t show up in the external. I’m just saying that sometimes, that need is secondary to the greater work He is doing. We want a band-aid while God is trying to clean out the infection. We want the quick-fix, while God is trying to heal the deep-down parts of us so that we can have an abundant life, not just an easier day.
Pray for what you need. Pray for what you want. Don’t stop asking God. But don’t be fooled by an enemy whose biggest goal is to get you to stop trusting in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Lay your requests at the feet of Jesus, and trust His will—that it is better, even when it doesn’t look like yours.