Prayer of Submission
Great Prayers of the Bible • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In the beginning, God created man and placed him in the garden. Out of Adam, which is the Hebrew word for Man, God created Eve and the two of them, man and woman, walked with God and were made stewards over God’s creation. And we all know the story. God instructed Man, eat anything you want to eat except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil - for if you eat of that fruit, you shall surely die.
Next, the serpent slithers into the scene. The serpent twist the Word of God and sows seeds of doubt. “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Man looked upon the fruit of the forbidden tree and desire began to grow.
Man faced temptation in the garden and man gave into temptation - Adam and Eve ate from the tree and in so doing, disobeyed God’s command for life and now faced the consequence of rebellion which was death.
Sin entered the world, no longer would man walk with God face to face, there was now a separation - a “great chasm” - established between the Holy God and sinful man.
Man could never measure up to God’s holy standards. None would be capable of living in a way that was right and good and holy at all times. Sin was always at the door. Temptation, in its many forms, would cause the sons and daughters of Adam to see and desire what the Lord forbid.
This would go on for many centuries until the arrival of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. As we heard in our gospel reading out of Luke this morning, Jesus, the Second Adam, is tempted in the garden as well, this time the garden of Gethsemane. The very “human will” to avoid suffering, to preserve one’s life, to walk away - tormented him.
Whereas the first Adam when facing temptation, followed his own will, the Second Adam prayed a prayer of submission.
Luke 22:42 (ESV)
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Not my will, but yours be done.
Jesus was facing a spiritual battle that we cannot even come close to fully appreciating.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus knew he was facing much more than a painful and physical death. He was taking upon Himself the sins of the world. Every wicked and evil action, every murder, every violation of an innocent, every lie, every curse, every broken relationship, every betrayal. The holy one of God would become sin. The late Kendell Easley wrote in his essay “Jesus was not a sinner but became sin”, that “Jesus became the representative sin-bearer. He identified 100 percent with the sin of the world when he died on the cross (John 1:29). God treated Jesus as if he were sin itself.”
This identification with sin meant separation from God.
The One who for eternity enjoys intimate fellowship with the Father and the Spirit, would be, in some mysterious way which I can’t explain, cut off from them.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Why have you forsaken me, abandoned me, deserted me?
The wrath of God would be poured out upon Jesus as he sacrificed himself on the cross.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Reflecting on Jesus’ prayer in the garden, Diane Chen, in her book Luke: A New Covenant Commentary, states…
Luke: A New Covenant Commentary Prayer at the Mount of Olives (22:39–46)
The spiritual intensity of this struggle far exceeds the physical torture that Jesus will endure. The reader gets a visceral sense of the depth of Jesus’ anguish and the massive amount of energy it takes to fight this battle. He is perspiring so profusely that large beads of sweat drip onto the dirt below like drops of blood (22:44). Jesus will indeed drink the cup of suffering, but God will give strength to see him through.
I know this is a heavy start to this message, but we are closing our series on Great Prayers of the Bible and today’s prayer is arguably the most difficult and necessary prayer that we, as Christian, must be ready and willing to pray.
The prayer of submission.
Father God, not my will, but thy will be done.
We cannot truly call ourselves Christians if we are not willing to pray that prayer. If we declare Jesus to be Lord, then we are submitting ourselves to His rule.
Submission is never easy but I think it is particularly hard for those of us here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. We are a fiercely independent people. We threw off the shackles of monarchy in 1776 and we believe that people have a right to decide for themselves how to live.
Add to it the great cultural shifts that we are living through - and now more than ever - people are not receptive to anything that limits their choices and their ability to do whatever they want to do.
Yet as Christians, our old identity is to be nailed to the cross, our new identity is found only in the risen Lord. We belong to Him. We were bought at a price.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Why is the act of submission so important to God?
Have you ever considered how submission to another is one of the key characteristics of the Trinity? God has made us in His image, and Stephen Seamands, in his book Ministry in the Image of God, shows how the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is characterized by submission.
In speaking of the Godhead, Stephen writes “each divine person is always denying himself for the sake of the others and deferring to the others.
The Father gives up his only Son for the sake of the world.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Son never seeks to do his own will but only the will of the Father.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
The Spirit, in turn, seeks only to glorify the Son and the Father.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
In the Godhead, we witness mutual submission to one another. No person of the Trinity exalting himself over the other.
This is God’s way of existence. This is where true joy and happiness and fulfillment is found. And yet, man resist this truth and we convince ourselves that we know a better way.
I think many times we do not seek God’s will because we are afraid of what he will ask of us. So we choose courses of action that we believe will bring about the results that will lead to a what we envision to be a perfect life. And if are Christians, we hope that God will bless our decisions.
Father God, not your will, but my will be done.
And then we find that the perfect life we imagined is a lie.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
What is your mind set upon? The Spirit or the flesh?
Does it depend on the day or the hour?
If so, what must change in your life in order to have your mind wholly set on the Spirit?
Who do you need to turn to and give permission to hold you accountable? Someone who can encourage and strengthen you - and to whom you can be completely honest.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
I encourage you to find at least 2 other mature Christians and ask them to walk with you in your faith journey. 2-3 people, coming together at least weekly, for prayer and for accountability. It can be over coffee - it can be over ZOOM - it can be however you want to structure it. Be honest with each other and encourage one another. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
I’m going to close this message with a Prayer of Submission. I’m going to invite you to bow your heads and as these words are spoken aloud, pray in agreement and allow the Spirit to work in you.
Let us pray:
Sovereign Lord and King, you are great and abundant in strength. It is you who made the earth by your power, you established the world by your wisdom, and by your understanding stretched out the heavens. Lord, you know my end from the beginning, you know when I sit and when I rise. You understand all my thoughts and you are familiar with all my ways, that even before I speak a word, Lord, you know it completely. Your eyes saw my unformed body and all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. I acknowledge that you are the Lord of my life and that my life is in your hands. I recognize that I need you because my knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are limited. Oh the depth of the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of my God! As Job rightfully said, “Who can resist you and succeed?”
Lord, I pray that you forgive my disobedience and my rebellious spirit. It is my heart’s desire to live in complete submission to you with no resistance. So, right now, I submit my will, my desires, and my plans to your authority. I will not attempt to take my life or vengeance into my own hands. I accept that my life is no longer mine, but it was purchased with the blood of Christ, and so it belongs to you. Lord, I am willing to go where you lead and follow your instructions. Lord, it is no longer my will, but let your will be done in my life. Even now, I pray for strength and courage to do your will especially when it is difficult. I pray all these things in the name of Christ Jesus, the perfect example of submission to the Father. Amen!