Today’s scripture: Matthew 26:36-46 (NRSV) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tyler Connoley):
Jesus taught us to trust God. He called God Abba (Father), and taught us that God was a good parent who loved us and would take care of us. We see this throughout the parables and teachings of Jesus. More importantly, we see it in the way he lived his life. And today’s passage is the ultimate example of that. The King James Version of the Bible translates the words in his prayer as, “Thy will be done.”
That prayer — “thy will be done” — is a statement of radical trust. It says, “God, I know what I think I want, but I trust you to do what’s best.” Knowing what Jesus was facing that night and the next day, it is an even more amazing statement of trust in his Abba. Nevertheless, I didn’t really understood the true impact of this prayer until I met a woman I’ll call Dana.
The first time I visited Dana was shortly after her terminal diagnosis with cancer. In her late-fifties, death had come knocking too early, yet she faced her diagnosis with grace. After our first visit, in which we talked about some of her profound mystical experiences and her discontent with organized religion, I asked if she wanted to pray together. “I don’t know how to pray,” she said. “Why don’t you pray, and I’ll listen.” I did, and when I was finished, Dana added, “Thy will be done. I love you. Amen.”
Every time I visited Dana for the next few months, our visits ended the same way. I would say a prayer asking God for peace, strength, freedom from pain, or whatever else seemed appropriate that day. Then Dana would add, “Thy will be done. I love you. Amen.” I believe those prayers, prayed by a woman who claimed she didn’t know how to pray, summed up the attitude that Jesus asked us to have toward God — the attitude Jesus modeled for us in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Thought for the day: Jesus taught us to love God, and trust God’s will for our lives. I invite you to pray the prayer, “Thy will be done. I love you. Amen.” Meditate on it, and see how it changes your attitude toward the things that happen today.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.