Luke 22:41-42  And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.

A three-year-old girl sat at the dinner table. Her uneaten food was the only thing left on the table. It had been forty-five minutes since the rest of her family had cleared their plates and enjoyed dessert. No amount of bribery or threats would get the girl to eat. Even though she usually liked the dish, this particular night she simply refused to eat it and demanded something else.

When in faith we pray, "Thy will be done," we are asking God to ignore the three-year-old who lives inside us and screams, "My will be done!" To utter these words is admitting to God that His ways are better than ours. Even when we don't understand His ways, they are better than ours.

To utter the words "Thy will be done!" in prayer to our Lord requires one of two things: either total laziness to rattle off words without thinking about what we are saying, or great and God-given faith to bravely ask God to ignore our selfish will and enact His good and gracious will, even if we do not comprehend or like it.

When one considers the selfish nature of humans in comparison to the good and gracious character of our God, revealed especially in Jesus, our Savior, perhaps it is wise to pray these words after all.
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