A friend of mine asked, “do you really think this is the will of the Father?”
I couldn’t believe my ears when she asked me this. I was shocked, because I knew without a shadow of doubt that I was in the will of God.
Yes, every bad thing you could possibly imagine was happening to me… and yes, I was suffering immensely. But I also knew that immense suffering can sometimes go along with doing God’s will.
Things won’t always be picture perfect. You see, Jesus showed us this when he was walking out the will of the Father in the Gospels by dying on the cross. He endured excruciating suffering leading up to it… and in it.
It was a very hard and a very difficult journey, but he knew (like we should) that doing God’s will is worth it all, despite the suffering.
If you are experiencing suffering right now in walking out the Lord’s will, remember that Jesus shows us how we can endure it to do the will of the Father.
What Is the Will of the Father?
The will of the Lord is that we do what he wants us to do.
In Luke 22:39-46, we see that the will of the Father includes making the decision to obey God over protecting ourselves from harm, like Jesus modeled for us here.
To walk out the plan of God, Jesus had to forgo himself. He was tempted to sin in regards to this and he told them to pray in opposition to it as well.
“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” (Luke 22:39-40, ESV)
We can all be tempted to sin by choosing to preserve ourselves over doing the will of Jesus; therefore, we need to pray against it, as Jesus told them.
Prayer is the key to enduring suffering to do the will of the Father. We need to live in reliance on God by praying before the temptation/testing/trial comes in order to walk in victory and to do God’s will.
What Did Jesus Say About Suffering?
No one wants to suffer. Jesus didn’t want to either, and we see him praying about it.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’” (Luke 22:41-42, ESV)
Jesus, when praying in the garden, asked God to “remove this cup from me.” This referred to doing what he had to do on the cross, which would include immense suffering (as it was taking on the wrath of God for mankind).
The Lord’s will for him, “this cup,” was that he took on the Father’s wrath that was meant for us. This phrase was speaking about not wanting to die, as he would have to do that as well. He didn’t want to die in such an awful way that included so much suffering.
Suffering for Christ
Jesus was in agony about what he had to do.
“And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44, ESV)
But Jesus did it because it was the will of the Father… and he knew it. He was always going to do it, no matter what, and he showed us we should pray.
The suffering he went through was far greater than anything we could ever go through. He was able to endure it and prepare for it through praying.
You need to be praying to endure the suffering in order to do the will of the Father in your own life. You need to make peace with his will, accepting it, and do it no matter the suffering, as Jesus did.
You can know that Jesus gets what you are feeling and going through.
What Does It Mean to Suffer for Christ?
To do the will of God, we need to be willing to suffer as Jesus did and lay down our life for him. It’s an honor to suffer for him, bringing forth his plans. It’s an honor because he is worthy of it all.
It matures us and makes us more like him. We shouldn’t be tempted to avoid suffering as Jesus’ suffering led to the greatest gift for mankind: salvation for all. Our suffering will bring forth great things as Christ showed us suffering does.
How to Do the Will of God
If you want to do the will of the Father, you need to pray. Pray about it all, and do it continuously.
Jesus modeled prayer in the most difficult time of his life and showed us to do the same to do the will of God. You need to do his will, despite the suffering you are experiencing, and you can by praying.
Prayer is the key to enduring the suffering. Below, you can find 3 additional tips from this passage in Luke 22:39-46 that will help you pray to do the will of Jesus.
1. Pray With Humility
In anticipation of Jesus knowing he would have to suffer, he prayed humbly before the Father to not have to do it. This is seen through how he positioned his body. He “knelt down.”
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,” (Luke 22:41, ESV)
We also should pray with humility by showing our dependence on Jesus. Yes, we might not get to avoid the pain—like Jesus didn’t—but our humility to depend on Jesus will enable us to get through it to do God’s will.
Get on your knees, with a humble heart and mind, away from others, to pray to him.
2. Pray “Not My Will, but Yours, Be Done”
Jesus desired the will of the Father no matter the suffering he would have to endure. We see this in Jesus’ prayer.
“… saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’” (Luke 22:42, ESV)
This is what we should pray: “not my will, but yours, be done.” This comes from having a pure heart/mind of loving Jesus first.
Pray this way, remembering what Jesus did for you, to have a pure heart/mind of love for him. Pray this because you should trust God, just like Jesus did. He knows what is best. Trust him.
Jesus was then strengthened.
“And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43, ESV)
We will be strengthened as well to do the will of the Father when we surrender to his will as Jesus did… regardless of what will happen.
3. Pray More Earnestly
Jesus was in such agony knowing what the Father’s will was for him.
“And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44, ESV)
This didn’t lead him to stop praying but made him “pray more earnestly.” Pray more, even harder.
When you ask, “what is the will of God in our lives?” remember that God’s will for our lives is that we do what he wants us to do… no matter the cost.
Living this out can include suffering. Jesus had to endure such immense suffering to do the will of the Father; if you are too, he shows you how you can endure it to do his will also.
It is through prayer.
He received strength by praying, and so can you. Yes, your circumstances may not change because you prayed… but you will get the strength you need to get through your circumstances well, like Jesus did.
Pray against temptation, pray as Jesus did with humility, “not my will, but yours, be done,” and pray more earnestly. Praying to Jesus will get you through your suffering to what he wants you to do.
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Carroll, John T, and Jennifer K Cox. Luke: A Commentary. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.
Kreitzer, Beth, Timothy George, and Scott M. Manetsch, eds. Luke. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2015.
Swindoll, Charles R. Luke. 1st ed. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2017.
Thompson, Alan J. Luke. Edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Academic, 2016.
