“Your will be done.”
— Matthew 26:42, Luke 11:2
Those are some of the hardest words to pray.
Even Jesus struggled with them as He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood, knowing what obedience would cost.
They’re hard because we’re afraid.
Afraid that, even after all our desperate prayers, God’s will might not line up with what we so deeply hope for.
And letting go—especially when it involves someone we love or a life-threatening situation—is one of the hardest things we’ll ever have to do.
Feeling like God has let us down is one of the greatest challenges to our faith.
Author Philip Yancey writes:
“Some people lose their faith because of a sharp sense of disappointment with God. They expect God to act in a certain way, and God ‘lets them down.’ Others may not lose their faith, but they too experience disappointment. They believe God will intervene, they pray for a miracle, and their prayers come back unanswered.”¹
When that happens, guilt often follows.
We wonder, What would others think if they knew I was disappointed or even angry with God?
Worse yet, What does God think?
But He knows we are human. He knows our frame is dust.
And He meets us in those emotions—disappointment, confusion, sadness, fear.
Scripture is filled with stories of people who struggled just like we do:
- Mary and Martha were disappointed when Jesus didn’t come immediately to heal Lazarus (John 11).
- A desperate father cried out, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
- The prophet Elijah, after his most triumphant moment, sat under a tree depressed and asked God to let him die (1 Kings 19).
In every case, God responded.
Not always in the way they hoped—but always in a way that ultimately brought them closer to Him, and grew their faith.
So don’t ever be afraid to pray, “Your will be done.”
Even when it hurts.
Even when you don’t understand.
Jesus knew that surrendering to the Father’s will meant the Cross—but He also knew it meant the joy of fulfilling His purpose.
You can trust God with your unknown future—because He already knows it.
And because He loves you.
He wants to bless you with a life that’s not just safe or easy—but one that is abundant, meaningful, and eternally significant.
