Week 9 | Wednesday
Wednesday – Not my Will, but Yours
Written by Jillian Walters (Jefferson Campus)
Ephesians 6:18
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
As I walked the perimeter of the Jefferson campus, a red-winged blackbird alighted on the tall cattails in the pond. I had previously passed fresh blackberry bushes along the perimeter and thought what a perfect meal it would be for him. But what if I thought, “Hmm, I know just what you need, little bird. You need grilled turkey for lunch! And then I asked God, ‘Lord, please make it rain turkey for this bird to eat.’” You may laugh at this silly analogy, but this is sometimes what we do with God. We just ask him for whatever we want with complete disregard for His will for our life or the lives of others.
We know full well the bird doesn’t need turkey. Red-winged blackbirds eat primarily insects, seeds, and grains. But what determines what the bird needs? Its Creator, of course! In the book of Ephesians, Paul both starts and ends with prayer. Paul’s emphasis on prayer is because it is the lifeline that keeps us connected to our Creator. Prayer is an ongoing conversation we get to have with God about absolutely every part of life and eternity. But in this particular passage, he doesn’t just tell us to pray, he tells us to “pray in the Spirit.” Does this mean that we have to be in a particular place, use certain words, or pray at a specific time of day? By no means! Praying in the Spirit means praying in a way that He would have us pray. It’s submitting our prayers to His plans and requires a posture of submission. In Matthew 6:10, the second line of the Lord’s prayer is, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” In short, praying in the Spirit is praying for God’s will to be done. It is sensing and listening in prayer, waiting for Him to move you or speak – sometimes through His word, our mind, a song, a devotional, nature, other people, or other ways – and then praying in step with what His call is. Sometimes praying in the Spirit feels wrong or awkward, because the things we are praying are so distinctly from the Lord that they aren’t what we want or what the person wants. Instead of praying for revenge, we pray for reconciliation. Instead of praying to get rich, we pray to become generous. Jesus alone knows what is best for us, so submitting our prayers to Him and desiring agreement with His heavenly will is always the best thing we can do.
Reflection Questions:
- Paul tells us to “keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Reflect on your prayer habits. If you don’t already, make it a point to begin praying for ALL the Lord’s people. This includes brothers and sisters in Christ in different parts of the world, missionaries, people who attend other churches, teams from Grace going on mission trips, and more! Schedule it on your calendar and go for it!
- Reflect on what it means to pray in the Spirit. If you’ve experienced this, reflect on times you knew it was unmistakable that the Spirit led your prayers. If you’ve not experienced this, find a believer who has and ask them about it. While we can’t force the Spirit to speak, reflect on what proactive measures you can take to be a temple that the Holy Spirit feels welcome to speak up in.
Prayer Prompt:
“Creator of all, you know our inmost needs and see the best paths for all of us. Give me a heart of submission to your will, ears to hear you above the noise, and strength to pray for what I sense you telling me. May I live unashamedly of what you lead me to do, trusting you along the way.”