The Prayer that Saved Salvation

They went to a place called Gethsemane and... [Jesus] fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Mark 14:32, 35-36

Far too many of us think we know better than God. In our prayers, we tell God what He ought to do. In our thoughts, we accuse God for not doing what He ought to have done already. Yet, look at Jesus' prayer hours before His death. He isn't shy about asking for exactly what He wants, but even the divine Son chooses to submit Himself to the Father's will. 

What an example there is for us in this prayer! Let's look at each of the three statements He prayed.

Everything is possible for you. 

God the Father could have stopped the crucifixion, for "everything is possible for God." But where would that leave us? 

Take this cup from me. 

Jesus makes His request plain. He asks the Father to help Him avoid drinking the cup of God's wrath. In other words, He asks God to help Him avoid this painful death. Now, we know that when the divine voice speaks, Heaven moves. So I can't help but wonder... as Jesus says this prayer on Earth is there a flurry of activity in heaven? Do angelic armies begin to muster?

Make no mistake: the salvation of mankind hangs in the balance at this point in His prayer for surely there is no other way that men can be saved but by the blood of Christ. If Jesus' trip to the cross is aborted than our salvation is lost. All of Heaven and Earth hold their breath to hear the end of this prayer.

Yet not what I will, but what you will.

We all owe our salvation to this very simple fact, the perfect Son of God doesn't insist before His Eternal Father on getting His own way. And in this moment all the angel armies of Heaven fix their eyes on the Father and are commanded to stand down. This one prayer saved salvation. Jesus had passed yet another test, one of His very last, on His way to the cross. He chose to trust the Father's will over His own. Shouldn't you do the same?!

Are you willing to surrender to God's will for your life? Are you willing to trust Him even when it hurts? Even when you think your plan is better? It takes faith to pray and ask God for what you want, but it takes greater faith to ask for what you want while living surrendered to His will. Pray like Jesus did.