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How do the following verses supremely illustrate the reality of praying submissively?
Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.
And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 0 My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.
- Matthew 26:38-39
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Think of the six petitions of the Lord's Prayer. How does the placement of the first three requests, in comparison to the last three, teach us of the necessity to pray submissively?
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3. Praying submissively
Praying self-centeredly instead of God-centeredly - Do my prayers center upon my name, rule, and will, or upon God's Name, rule, and will?
Viewing self as lord and God as servant - Such prayers tell God what He must do, and often, when and how He should do it as well. True prayer desires to honor God as God and serve Him as a faithful servant -to do His will more than my own. True prayer requests, it does not demand; it asks, rather than tells.
Praying parent-like rather than child-like - Parent-like prayer refers to knowing the answer, determining the direction, and making the decision. Child-like prayer is very different. A young child runs to his parent to pour out all his troubles and experiences. He receives comfort and rest in doing so, trusting that his parent will know exactly what should be done and will care for the problem. Likewise, child-like prayer is a fleeing to, and trusting in, the Lord with all our cares.
Imagine the prayer of a person who has been hospitalized with a very serious illness. How do the following two prayers differ?
Prayer 1 - "Lord, please heal me; strengthen me. Grant that I may recover and return to my family. Please reduce the pain and grant me a healthier appetite."
Prayer 2 - "Lord, if it would be in Thy will for me, please heal me and strengthen me. Grant that I may recover and return to my family. If desirable to Thee, please reduce the pain and grant me a healthier appetite. But if this is not Thy will for me, please make me perfectly submissive to Thy will. Help me to glorify Thee in adversity, sickness, and pain. May my will be swallowed up in Thine, that Thy Name, Lord, may be glorified."
4. Praying repentantly
Asking as a worthy person rather than an unworthy sinner - Asking as a worthy person rather than an unworthy sinner - We are to confess all our sins - our total sinnership - openly before the Lord in prayer. If we think that we must come to
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