Prayers with a Postscript

[He] knelt down, and began to pray, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me— nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” —Luke 22:41–42

What do we really mean when, after bringing our petitions to the Lord, we then add, “not my will, but yours, be done”? Are we saying that we really don’t care what the outcome is? Are we preloading our hearts with disappointment because we don’t expect God to do what we’ve asked?

Or are we truly surrendering our will to Him, as Jesus did when He prayed these words?

God’s answers almost always come with surprises. He may act sooner than we expect, or later. He may use an unusual event or a person whose involvement we would never have envisioned.

Praying “not my will, but yours” is to acknowledge God’s unlimited power and unrestricted ways. It is a prayer of surrender that says, “I don’t see what You see. I can’t do what You do. Your intent is superior to my desire. Here, take this.”