Scriptural Prayers - Not My Will but Yours Be Done 3
David W Palmer
(Luke 22:41–42 NKJV) And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, … “not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Jesus’s lordship is powerful, almighty, and all encompassing; but in contrast, his way of directing us seems flimsy and mysterious.
The book of Revelation reveals Jesus as Lord of lords and King of kings, etc.; in this role he is decisive, powerful, and rules with an inflexible authority:
(Revelation 19:15 NKJV) “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
In comparison, his guidance to his family is a gentle whisper:
(1 Kings 19:12 NLT) “And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.”
The devil must accuse and deceptively predict that God’s way of inner guidance through his Spirit and the voice of the Good Shepherd simply will not work in a fleshly, sin-dominated world. But God believes it will. Whose side are you on? Whose voice do you follow—the loudest and most influential, or the still, small voice of truth?
(John 10:27 NKJV) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
In the last two studies, we have looked at:
Today, we are looking at God guiding us into his will when he is not showing us what it is. The challenge is … do we keep waiting and asking? Or do we simply push on by faith that he is leading us and setting circumstances in our favour—when we have no idea what he is doing, what he wants us to do, or where he is leading us? When we would like the clear-cut instruction of the sharp sword booming out of his mouth, we don’t even hear the gentle whisper of his still, small, inner voice. And then, at times, even if we do hear his gentle whisper, he simply says, “Trust me.” So, what do we do? How do we proceed?
3. Trusting that God is Guiding You into His Will When He Doesn’t Tell You What it Is
The first thing to keep in mind is that God wants us to live by faith (See: Rom. 1:17). Our faith pleases God, and we must never forget this (See: Heb. 11:6). So, no matter what he wants us to do, he is always looking for the element of faith from our side.
Second, it’s always right to confess that Jesus is Lord, He is our Good Shepherd, my steps are ordered by him, and if I go off track, I will hear a voice behind me:
(Isaiah 30:21 NKJV) “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”
With the foundation in place of living by faith, confessing Jesus is Lord, and assured that God will put us right if we move off track—if and when we are well intentioned—let’s now investigate further.
Jesus, when speaking to Pilate prior to his crucifixion, explained a very important part of hearing and following him as our King:
(John 18:37 NKJV) Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Jesus implies that the person who hears his voice is the person whose heart is inclined to hearing the truth. This is crucial, as Jesus is the truth—as well as the way and the life (See: John 14:6). Jesus is King over, and leads, those who speak the truth in their hearts:
(Psalm 15:1–2 NKJV) “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? {2} He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.”
