Prayer

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew 26:39

You have probably heard the phrases “There are no atheists in foxholes” and “There are no atheists in the trenches.” We don’t know who said them first, but sources date the idea back as far as World War I. While there is no agreement about the origin of these sayings, there is no disagreement about their meaning.

Crying out to God for protection in times of heated battle is nothing to be ashamed of. Jesus Christ Himself, on the night of His arrest and trial for blasphemy, fell on His face before God and prayed that God might spare Him from the pain He knew was coming. But He ended His prayer with these all-important words: “Not as I will, but as You will.” We know what God’s will for Jesus was—it was for Him to die for the sins of the world. When we need to hear from God about our own future—when Scripture does not speak directly to our situation—the first thing we should do is pray. God has promised to hear us when we pray according to His will, and to answer (1 John 5:14-15).

When we pray for God’s will to be done, we can be assured it will be, as we rise submissively from our knees.

The spirit of prayer is the fruit and token of the Spirit of adoption.

JOHN NEWTON