1. The Hardest Prayer…
…You Will Ever Pray

2. Hard Prayers Hannah (1 Sam. 1) David (Psa. 22) Simon (Acts 8:22)
Paul (2 Cor. 12)

3. The Daily Challenge God has a will for my life
I have a will for my life
Those two wills are often in conflict with each other
When there is a conflict, either God’s will or my will, prevails (Mt. 21:30-31)

4. God Has A Will For Me
God has a permissive will: what he allows in his mind (Acts 14:16)
God has a providential will: what he provides with his care (Rom. 15:32; Cor. 1:1; 4:19; Jas. 4:15; Ac. 21:14)
God has a prescriptive will: what he reveals in his scripture (Jn. 7:17; Eph. 5:17; Heb. 10:9-10)

5. Our Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer
We learn how to pray from Jesus
What Jesus prayed in the garden was:
genuine (Mt. 26:37-38)
earnest (Mt. 26:44; Lk. 22:44)
self-less (Mt. 26:39,42)

6. Our Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer
What Jesus prayed in the garden is…
Seldom prayed today
Seldom meant today
Seldom answered today

7. who has been in charge, you
“Your Will Be Done”
It is hard to pray, “Your will be done” because it means giving up control of your own life
We must let God call the shots (Prov. 3:5-8)
In the past 24 hours,
who has been in charge, you
or the Lord?

8. “Your Will Be Done”
It is hard to pray, “Your will be done” because we often doubt that God wants the best for us
We must trust that God knows all and knows best (Mk. 14:36; Rom. 11:33)

9. “Your Will Be Done”
It is hard to pray, “Your will be done” because God’s will sometimes involves suffering and pain
We must obey at all costs; only after the cross comes the crown (Heb. 5:8; Pet. 3:17; 4:19)

10. “Your Will Be Done”
It is hard to pray, “Your will be done” because you are praying against the status quo
We must do our Father’s will, not the will of the world (Rom. 12:2; Jn. 2:15-17)

11. Doing God’s Will Heaven on earth (Mt. 6:10) Jesus’ family (Mk. 3:35)
From the heart (Eph. 6:6)
With steadfastness (Heb. 10:36)
Rewarded in heaven (Mt. 7:21)

12. nothing more, nothing less,
A Simple Prayer
O Lord, not my will,
but your will be done,
nothing more, nothing less,
nothing else,
in Jesus name, amen.