Family Prayer

Yet not as I will, but as you will  Matthew 26:39

Yet Not – These two tiny Greek words (plen ouk) contain everything you need to know about prayer in God’s family.  You might object, “Wait!  Haven’t we just spent days looking at all the nuances of Hebrew and Greek words for prayer?  How can you say that all I need to know is found in “yet not”?”

The answer is simple:  If you pray as a child of God, you pray for His will to be done and His kingdom to come.  And that means your will must be set aside.  If you pray as a child of the King, you pray relinquishing your desires, agendas and conditions.  Family prayer in the household of God is always prayer that seeks Him first.  It’s the difference between “yet not” and “not yet.”

I want to pray like Jesus.  He is my standard, my model.  And I truly believe that we can pray as He prayed.  The very fact that He was willing to teach His disciples to pray implies that He expected us to pray as He did.  But all liturgy, all declarations, all postures and petitions mean nothing, to me or to God, if they are not carried on the stretcher of “yet not.”  Without “yet not” no prayer reaches God’s ear. for no prayer that is opposed to His purpose will ever be answered.  God does not respond to my pleading according to me.  He responds according to Him – and that means I have to set aside my own will and submit to His.  If I do not pray in the “yet not” context, then my prayer is nothing more than a subtle delay in the confrontation of wills.  “Not yet” God.  I’m not quite ready for Your will to be my answer.  I’m not ready to give up this particular agenda.  Someday, maybe, I’ll submit – but, not yet.

This verse in Matthew is the model for the most challenging prayer in your entire life.  Can you say with Jesus, “Yet not my will but yours?”  Can you take all the circumstances, the hopes, the dreams, the desires that populate your life and apply the “yet not” prayer?  Are you ready to let God do exactly what He wishes to do with all of you, all you have, all you hope? 

Those who can pray, “yet not,” are children of the Most High.  All the rest are still fighting for their own agendas.