Praying With God’s Will In Mind

by Pastor Mark
June 25, 2026

“Your will be done”

One aspect of prayer that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples was to pray, “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). This means seeking to understand what God’s will is and submitting to it humbly and willingly. But it is not an easy prayer to make. We find ourselves struggling as our own will goes against God’s will. We recognise that our will can be strong and stubborn, and we desire to do things in our own way. Often, we find ourselves seeking our own will rather than God’s will. Even more, we need to be mindful of making this prayer, “Your will be done”, so much more real in our lives and ministries.

The Lord Jesus was very clear about His Father’s will for Him. He knew the Scriptures well, especially those concerning Himself as the Messiah, and sought to fulfil them all. The author of Hebrews applied this prophecy from Psalm 40 to the Lord Jesus, “Then I said, “Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.”” (Hebrews 10:7; Psalm 40:7). The Lord Jesus regarded all the prophecies about Him as God’s will and humbly submitted to them. Yet when it came to His suffering and facing the cross, He did not do so without struggle. He needed to be in communion with His Father in prayer.

Communing with the Father

1. Confirming the will of God

“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”” (Matthew 26:39)

  1. The Lord Jesus, as a Man, felt deep sorrow and distress (Matthew 26:38).
  2. He needed to commune with His Father about this most difficult struggle.
  3. He spoke to His Father to ask whether it was possible for the cup to be passed.
  4. The Lord needed to confirm that He must drink this cup of suffering.
  5. He needed to learn to reject His own will and submit to His Father’s.

2. Submitting to the will of God

“Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”” (Matthew 26:42)

  1. The Lord Jesus needed to keep praying until His will was fully submitted to God’s will.
  2. He learnt to pray, “Your will be done”.
  3. It was wise for the Lord to commune with His Father about this matter.
  4. It was where He was able to place His absolute faith and trust in God and His will.
  5. The Lord Jesus learnt to surrender His will to God.
  6. He sought to submit fully to His Father’s will.
  7. The Lord was able to rise from prayer and face His sufferings with great resolve.

Learning to pray concerning God’s will

The Lord Jesus set an amazing example for us of what it means to pray, “Your will be done”. Let us be challenged to follow His example by communing with our heavenly Father concerning His will. The Word of God has revealed His will for us to obey. Yet often, our will drives us in the opposite direction. Unless we learn to yield our will, we will always find ourselves at odds with God. Let us be challenged to commune with our Father to confirm His will for us and to learn to submit humbly and surrender to His will for our lives and ministries.

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