Kristi Woods

Encouraging Women to Walk Deeper with God

Prayerful Surrender

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Today’s guest poster is a sweet sister in Christ whom I met over a bowl of chili in Hawaii. We both still sip and slurp chili,  but in other states. She now calls Colorado home, but Jamie Williams will always have the Aloha spirit gracing her life. She knows what it’s like to be broken and put back together again…all by a loving and mighty Savior. His words through her are real, making a girlfriend want to pull up a chair, sip some latte, and hold conversation with Jamie. She is the real deal and a true delight. Enjoy her words, my friends. ~ Kristi

I’ve tried to imagine what it must have been like for the son of God on that night when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 

It seems as though whenever it’s time to pray, I have my list of needs and requests I want God to answer. I take time to pray daily, sometimes my prayer talk flows through out the day. But, I have to wonder, have I ever prayed like Jesus when he was face down to the dirt, tears streaming down his face, muddying the ground beneath him as he cried out with groans to his Dad for help?

His soul was crushed with grief to the point of death the Bible says. (Matthew 26:36-44)
I have felt grief in my life but never to the point of death. Here was this sinless man, kind, loving, obedient in every way, and his father was asking him to lay down his life to death for us all. 
I believe people all around the world could tell you their views on prayer. Some believe it works and others will tell you they prayed and their prayers were never answered. Well, let me tell you if I might what prayer means to me. 
I once heard a preacher say that God has three answers when we go to him and pray.  

There is the yes, the no, or the wait. 

It’s funny how we all want to hear the yes, we’re sad and discouraged by the no, and we absolutely hate the wait! 

There are stories I could tell you that makes me glad God said wait, and even no. What my life could have been like if he had said yes to every request I had. I’m so glad he is the God who knows what’s best for me. He sees my past, my today, and my future, and because He loves me so much, He is looking out for what’s best for me, even when I can’t see what He is doing and don’t understand.


Can you picture it?  

Jesus first asks Peter, James, and John to stay up and keep watch with him. The Bible says he went a little further than them. The distance was a stone’s throw away. That means they could still hear him. 

Could you imagine hearing your best friend cry like that? Wouldn’t you run to her and pray with her, hold her hand, hug her? 
Well, these three had heavy eyes and fell in and out of sleep. Remember these are the guys Jesus walked with daily. He prayed for them, strengthened them, and now he needed them just for a moment to watch and pray. 
Jesus was griped with fear and agony, hoping there could be another way, hoping he was not alone. 
As the night darkened and the chill in the air fell on his back, he realized he must pray from himself.

“Father,” he calls out like a child afraid of the dark, 

          “if it is possible, 
let this cup of suffering be taken 
away from me.”
If? He was not demanding or angry but was simply asking the dad he trusted if there was another way. 
Have there been times in life when your prayers were demanding? Or, have you found yourself negotiating with God for something or even letting your anger out because God didn’t answer your prayers? 

Let’s take a closer look. 

In that cruel hour of torment, Jesus asks three times, “If it is possible…”  Weary, weak, cold, afraid, and completely surrendered he lay. Then the prayer that seals the deal , I absolutely love this part. “If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, YOUR WILL be done!  

The tears are streaming down my face as I type these words. Knowing the story of the prayer that saved my life and yours from eternal death, how can I not follow this example? I want to rise to my feet and applaud my Lord and Savior, the hero of my heart.  His words are priceless and submitting. 
“Not what I want Father, but whatever you want.”

Can we be a people that trust the living God with every detail of our life, even to sickness, betrayal, financial hardship, loneliness, abandonment, or death? 
Will we be like Jesus and lay our life down for the sake of his kingdom call? 
Will we abandon our rights, our thoughts, and our fears for His will to be done in our life?
I’ve heard it said. “When you cannot see the hand of God trust his heart.”

May your life of prayer become one of complete surrender.
His Mercy is Alive,
Jamie Williams

About Jamie~
I am a daughter of the King, a lover of the one true God. He is my salvation, my Hope, and my Redeemer. I am the wife of one very handsome man, mama of four almost all adult kiddos, and grandma of two amazing, little people. I love the ocean, coffee shops, and good friends that provoke me to godliness. My heart’s passion is to watch God transform the lives of women, giving them beauty for ashes.
When God comes to you, he comes with hope of transformation, so rise up daughters of the most high. It’s time to come alive. ~ Jamie

Feel free to join Jamie at  Peace, Lavender and the Sea, on Facebook, or in an email at cozyteatimeshop@aol.com.

Comments

  1. Beautiful thoughts on our Savior’s prayer, Jamie. Your words reveal your sweet heart and great love for the One who saved us all … Jesus! What a great reminder to trust God’s heart when you cannot see His hand : )

    Reply

  3. Love, love, love! God has gifted you Jamie with the ability to write! And not just “write”, but to write with depth for all to experience the journey as you share. The story comes to life. As I read I feel a drawing to know Him more and to be more like Him. Thank you Jamie!

    Reply

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