One of the reasons people struggle in their prayer lives is that they have a misunderstanding of the purpose of prayer. For some, prayer is only about telling God what we want, trying to convince Him to act according to our wants and will. While God does care about what is going on in our lives and invites us to make requests to Him, the purpose of prayer is not to change God's heart; the purpose of prayer is for God to change our hearts. Because of this, part of prayer involves giving over our priorities to God and saying, "I want what you want for my life."
Jesus gives us an example of what surrendering our priorities over to God in prayer looks like. In Matthew 6, He taught a crowd of people how to pray. Part of what He taught followers to pray was, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (verse 10). What Jesus taught us to say in this verse is, "I want what you want, God." Praying in this way requires sacrifice and surrender, as we give up our will for God's will.
Jesus went beyond just teaching us to pray, "May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done…" He showed it in Luke 22. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus was about to be arrested and ultimately killed on the cross to rescue the world from sin. Knowledge of what was to come was at the forefront of His mind. He was facing a brutal and devastating death that was reserved for the worst criminals, although He was completely innocent. During the moments leading up to His arrest, Jesus prayed. As He prayed to God the Father, He surrendered His will. He said, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine" (verse 42). Imagine the agony Jesus must have felt in these moments. Scripture tells us that He was in such "agony of spirit" that "His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood" (verse 44). Despite the torture and pain awaiting, Jesus still prayed for God’s will to be done over everything else. He surrendered to God the Father with everything, and because He did, we have the chance to experience eternal life with Him forever.
The remarkable thing that happens when we surrender our priorities over to God is that He begins to work in our hearts. Suddenly, our priorities and desires begin to align with His. That is what happens when we pray. As we pray, God changes our hearts as we submit our own will and desires to Him.
Follow the example Jesus set today and give your priorities over to God. Write out your prayer today. Begin with the words, “God, I surrender this to you…” Tell God what you will surrender to Him. Invite Him to change your heart so that it reflects His. After all, His way is always better.
1The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. 2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.
7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” 23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.
28 “You have stayed with me in my time of trial. 29 And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right 30 to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”
34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”
“No,” they replied.
36 “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! 37 For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”
38 “Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”
“That’s enough,” he said.
39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”
41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”
