We all are in a battle for the will, our will. We want what we want. We are followers of Jesus but we come with an agenda. That agenda is us. Within all of this battle is the temptation to say No to the Father and Yes to us. The only way through is prayer. That is where we lay down what we want and our ideas and say we are not going to do it my way but YOUR way.
“First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10 v 8-10)
The multiple sacrifices were set aside for the one. The setting aside was the destruction of the old system for this one act of obedience to the will of God. That act was accomplished first by prayer. Do you remember that prayer?
Jesus knelt down and prayed. We think of this with Western eyes. But Jesus kneeling to pray was shocking. He only knelt once and this is it. The battle for his will has begun and he demonstrates by choosing a posture of surrender.
His prayed. We can never understand the full weight of the burden he was carrying knowing that the next day he would not only endure an excruciating death but he would take the weight of the sin of the world. On top of this he brought to the surface what he wanted, his will in this ordeal, then he surrendered it, he said that’s not what is going to happen, there is no greater prayer than that! Above all in this painful prayer time he knew he would be separated from his Father which had never happened before.
This prayer of Jesus is not only beautiful and powerful it leads us to pray the same.
Here I am, I have come to do your will.
Missions Paul 