Praying God's Will

Barbie with Ron

Recently, I traveled to central Florida with my sister, Barbie, to spend time with Dad, who was not doing well and, according to our brother, Nate, might not live much longer. Once again, Dad surprised us. He snapped out of his comatose state, recognized us, and was able to briefly converse and display the joy that permeates his life. While Dad slept most of the time, the three of us siblings were able to catch up and share meaningful conversations. During one of those discussions, Nate shared something that challenged my thinking, and I want to share it with you, hoping it might encourage you as it did me.  

​Meditation
Romans 1:9,10--For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
 
Paul faithfully prayed for the Christians in Rome with a firm desire to visit them. Yet he couched his prayer with three key words, “in God’s will.” In his mind, it would be beneficial to travel to see those for whom he was praying if that fit within God’s plan. 
            
For the past six months or more, I have prayed that God would take Ron, my 93-year-old father, home and give him a warrior’s welcome in heaven. I prayed this because of his dementia, brain tumor, and inability to get out of bed; it seemed better for him and for those caring for him to be released. But I was wrong.
            
Nate shared that because Dad continues to live, he has grown closer to God. When, because of fatigue or busyness, he is tempted to take shortcuts with his food or care, the Holy Spirit prompts him to treat Dad with respect. The longer Dad lives, the more in tune Nate is becoming with listening to the Lord. His prayer life is the best it has ever been. It was so encouraging to hear how caring for Dad has changed my brother. 
            
I should have been praying, “Lord, in Your will, do what is best with Dad.” Praying God’s will is always better than praying my will. He sees what I don’t see, He knows what I don’t know or necessarily understand. His plan is perfect.
            
In most cases, we pray in faith for God to heal the sick. When they die, we wonder why He did not answer our prayers. Yet His will accomplishes more than we can ever imagine. Sometimes death, sometimes life, always God’s way is right. We cannot go wrong invoking His will. It is not a cop-out or a lack of faith; it’s recognition that our Father knows best and that we want what He wants for His glory—which is far greater than our satisfaction. Philip Yancy wrote, “In other words, one who works in close partnership with God grows in the ability to discern what God wants to accomplish on earth, and prays accordingly.”[1]
 
Inspiration
Prayer means that we get into union with God’s view of other people. Our devotion as saints is to identify ourselves with God’s interests in other lives. God pays no attention to our personal affinities; He expects us to identify ourselves with His interests in others.—Oswald Chambers in The Psychology of Redemption, p.135

©2025 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)

[1] Yancy, P. (2006). Prayer: Does it make any difference?  Zondervan. P. 236.