Are you ready to pray a prayer of deep trust? Pray the words Jesus taught us to pray:
Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done.
Pray these words without reservation, hesitation or qualification.
This is a prayer of complete surrender. Every time we pray these words we let go. We acknowledge the reality that God is God, and we are not. We own the truth that God is in control and we have no control. We join our hearts with His heart and express our desire for Him to have His way, and we agree that His way is best.
It is also trust-filled because we are in no way expressing what we think should be done. Have you ever been given total freedom on a project, only to be given a ton of suggestions on how to do it right or better? God wants to hear our desires, but sometimes our desires feel more like instructions. What trust and surrender we express when we say, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done." Period.
Prayers of surrender are not easy prayers. They may be easy words to mouth, but they are not easy words to mean. Imagine some of the most difficult, frustrating, maybe heartbreaking issues you are facing in this season. How easy is it to say, "God, whatever You want. Whatever You think is best, do it." Whatever includes many things we do not want. Can we really say, "Even that God. Even the thing I don't want...you know best."
Such a prayer reminds me of Paul's landing place in 2 Corinthians 9:
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God thought it was best for Paul to receive a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass him, to keep him from becoming conceited. Read those words again. A messenger from Satan! God thought this was best for Paul. Paul did not start out praying, "Your will be done." No, he prayed for God to take it away, three times. Ultimately He arrives at the place of trust: For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
Whatever You think is best God, do it. Jesus, I trust you.
Today's Prayer Focus
Fix in your mind on a situation over which you have a clear opinion on the best possible outcome. Choose an area where you have repeatedly asked God to take it away, to change it, to do it this way instead. With stedfast resolve and complete surrender, say it: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done. How about a specific topic that is even more difficult to surrender: God, whatever you want for my child, I want it too. Pray these prayers with opened hands. Let go. Release control to God.