Day 32: Not My Will, But Yours Be Done

 

📅 Date: April 2, 2025 (Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent)

📖 Scripture Reading:
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” – Luke 22:42 (NIV)

📖 Reflection on Luke 22:42:

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus faces the weight of the world’s sin and the looming agony of the cross. His prayer, "Not my will, but Yours be done," reveals the depth of His obedience and trust in the Father. Though Jesus’ human nature recoiled at the thought of suffering, His ultimate desire was to submit His will to the will of God. This moment of surrender highlights the tension between our own desires and God’s greater purpose, a tension that each of us faces in our walk with Christ.

Jesus’ prayer is a model for us in moments of personal crisis or when God's will calls us to a path we don’t fully understand. We are often faced with choices that require us to lay down our personal desires, preferences, and plans to follow God’s will. Jesus teaches us that true surrender is not about denying our struggles but about submitting our hearts to God, trusting that His plan is always good, even when it leads us through difficult paths.

In the Lenten season, we are called to reflect on how we respond to God’s will. Are we willing to surrender our own desires in order to follow Him? Can we say with sincerity, “Not my will, but Yours be done”?

💭 Reflect:

• In what areas of your life are you struggling to submit your will to God’s?
• How does Jesus’ prayer in the Garden challenge you to trust in God’s plan, even when it seems difficult?
• Are there specific areas where God is calling you to surrender your own desires and trust in His will for your life?

💡 The Heart of Surrender:

• Trusting God’s Plan: True surrender comes from the understanding that God’s will is always better than our own.
• The Struggle of Surrender: Jesus’ prayer in the Garden reminds us that surrender is not easy—it involves a real struggle, a testament to our human nature and the reality of spiritual warfare. Yet, it’s a surrender that leads to peace and fulfillment.
• Obedience in Trust: Saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” is an act of obedience that reflects deep trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty.

Application:
1️⃣ Surrender Your Desires: Identify an area where you need to surrender your personal will to God. It could be a decision, a relationship, or a dream. Ask God for the grace to let go and trust His plan.
2️⃣ Pray for Trust: Spend time in prayer, asking God to help you trust His will, even when it’s difficult. Acknowledge any fears or doubts you may have, and offer them up to Him.
3️⃣ Follow God’s Leading: Ask God to show you specific ways in which you can align your life more closely with His will. Be open to His guidance, even if it takes you down an unexpected path.

🔍 Heart Check:

• Are there areas of your life where you’re still holding on to your own plans, resisting God’s will?
• How can you cultivate a heart that is more open to surrendering to God, trusting that His plan is always better than yours?

📖 Scripture Meditation:
Read Matthew 16:24-26 – "Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.’" Meditate on the call to self-denial and how it relates to surrendering our will to God’s.

💡 Action Steps:

• Surrender in Prayer: Take a moment today to pray and surrender an area of your life where you’re struggling to follow God’s will.
• Obey Promptings: If you feel God leading you to make a change or take a step of obedience, even if it’s a small or quiet prompting, follow through with it, even if it’s uncomfortable.
• Serve Others: Practice surrender by serving others selflessly, putting their needs above your own desires.

Prayer:
Father God, I thank You for Jesus’ example of surrender in the Garden of Gethsemane. Help me to trust You fully and submit my will to Yours, even when it’s difficult. Give me the courage to follow You, even when it leads me through challenging paths. May I find peace in knowing that Your plan is always good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

🌟 Call to Action:
Today, take a moment to reflect on an area of your life where you are struggling to surrender your will to God. Ask for the strength to trust Him completely and follow His guidance, no matter where it leads.

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Enhancements:

1. The Struggle of Surrender has been expanded to emphasize that the struggle is not a sign of weakness, but a testament to our human nature and the reality of spiritual warfare.
2. Lenten Connection: A brief phrase has been added to link the Lenten season to the theme of surrender, reinforcing the reflection on Christ’s ultimate act of sacrificial obedience.
3. Obey Promptings: The phrase "even if it is a small or quiet prompting" has been added to highlight that God's promptings can be subtle but still require action.