“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42 NIV
“A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Luke 9:35
SEEK HIM: Devotion is Meeting with God in Our Own Lives!
Jesus gives us the perfect example of prayer, and not just in words but in life. Throughout the Gospels, He continually slipped away to pray to His Father. He prayed at His baptism, before choosing His disciples, before feeding the crowds, and before raising the dead. He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration, and He prayed again in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ life was prayer as He lived every moment surrendered to His Father’s will. So, when we “Seek Him,” we’re not just studying His prayers; we’re learning His posture. (Listen to the intro podcast about Jesus here.) He showed us that glory and surrender go hand in hand. The same Savior whose face shone like lightning on the mountain would later bow His face to the ground in the garden. To seek Jesus is to follow Him into both the glory and the surrender, knowing that in both, heaven meets here. Let’s “Seek Him” about this right now!
WHAT: What is God saying through this Scripture?
Jesus prayed the words of our key verse on the night before His crucifixion. He was in deep anguish, facing the cross that awaited Him. The cup He spoke of represented the suffering, separation, and sacrifice that were ahead. And yet, in this moment of agony, Jesus didn’t turn away. He turned to the Father. His words “yet not my will, but yours be done” reveal the deepest truth about prayer: it’s not about getting what we want; it’s about aligning with what God wants. In each moment of His life, including this most difficult one, Jesus fully yielded His will to the Father’s plan. This wasn’t passive resignation but active trust. Jesus believed that the Father’s way was best, even when it led to the cross. ~ What do these words teach us about Jesus’ relationship with His Father? Why is it significant that Jesus said yet, choosing surrender over self? How does this verse redefine what surrender in prayer really means?
WHY: Why does this Scripture matter?
This is what faith looks like in real life. Following Jesus isn’t about holding tightly to our plans; it’s about letting go and trusting God’s plan. It’s about surrendering control so that God can bring about His perfect will. In every generation, disciples of Jesus have learned that surrender is not weakness; it’s worship. It’s not giving up; it’s giving over. When we yield to the Father’s will, we step into the same faith Jesus demonstrated, the faith that led to resurrection, victory, and glory. As Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) reminds us, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” That joy was us. Jesus surrendered because His eyes were set on the Father and on the people He came to save, which matters to us for all of eternity. ~ What happens when we try to hold onto our own plans instead of trusting God’s? How has God’s plan proved better than your own in the past? Why does true transformation require surrender?
HOW: How does God want us to respond to this truth?
To pray like Jesus is to pray in surrender to God. This means letting go of our timelines, our expectations, and our definitions of success. It means trusting God when His plan takes us somewhere unexpected. It means believing that His “yes,” “no,” or “wait” are always right. Jesus surrendered everything, and through that surrender, He changed the world. When we follow His example, our lives begin to reflect His light, even in the dark. The same God who met Jesus in the garden and on the mountain, in the valley and in the desert, meets us in ours. ~ Where is God asking you to trust His plan over your own right now? How can you surrender something specific to Him in prayer today? What would it look like to live in continual surrender, like Jesus?
SPEAK HIM: Discipleship is Making God Known to Others!
When we talk about prayer and surrender, we aren’t just sharing principles but a Person. The world doesn’t need another definition of surrender; it needs an introduction to Jesus, the One who lived it perfectly. His surrender opened the way for our salvation. When we “Speak Him,” we speak of the Savior who loved us enough to lay His life down for the joy of knowing us. Tell someone about this Jesus who knelt in the garden. Speak of the One who obeyed through suffering and endured out of love for us. Invite others to trust this same Father who is trustworthy in everything. When you Speak Jesus, you’re not just describing Him—you’re declaring Him. This is what it means to “Seek Him Speak Him.” Lord, let our prayers of surrender become lives that echo to others what Jesus did for us all.
Up Next:
TRANSFIGURATION PRAYER: Conclusion: “This Kind of Prayer” (Convo #8)
