Submitting Prayer
Our final place to stand is in the position of entire surrender to His sovereign will. When you have done all, stand (Ephesians 6:13). God is not asking us to accept disease as His desire for us or as His best for us. Never! He is the Giver of every good gift and the sworn Enemy of all that is dark, fallen and evil (James 1:16-17). Nevertheless, there came a time in Jesus life when the only honorable way forward through the suffering He was facing, was to make sure that His heart stayed firmly surrendered to the Father's will. God greatly blessed Jesus for His willingness to prove the trustworthiness of God, even through the hard passage of the cross.
And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. Luke 22:41-43
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
The What and Why of It
The prayer of surrender is no faint-hearted, resignation-weary, fall-back position, as if yielding to God's mercy was the last and worst alternative available to us. Sometimes it is the best way from the beginning, but only if you have the faith-confidence to believe that the Lord's desire is to liberate you. Then, the release of your spirit into His may be the very thing He needs to effect your release from the illness. Above all, Jesus desires our inward and spiritual liberation.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 NASB
The reality of our spiritual health is the primary concern of the Lord and it should be of ours. Spiritual health is the bedrock for emotional and physical health as well. It is easily identified: Spiritual health is the ability to trust God entirely no matter what He is allowing or what He is asking of us. The way we know we are trusting God is through the peace of Christ.
We can easily be tricked out on this by the enemy who is a past master at tempting God's children to trade their inheritance for a bowl of porridge. We may rightly chide Esau who did just that in the natural realm (see Genesis 25:27-34), but our inheritance is the Person and Presence of Jesus who has come to live with us and in us. Being with Jesus in eternity is the fullness of our inheritance; living is His peace is the enjoyment of our inheritance right now.
To trade the peace of Christ in for emotional stress when things don't go the way we desire or expect, is the great sickness of our age. Nothing should be as important to us as putting our faith connection to Jesus first and foremost: He is our life! He entreats us to abide in Him (John 15: 1-8); He beckons us to return to Him (Isaiah 30:15); He commands us to seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). We even sings songs like "All to Jesus I Surrender." This seems to fly out the window when we get sick!
Not to live in Him and through His peace produces a devastating dis-ease: emotional stress.Emotional stress in turn works to negatively affect our enjoyment of life and of the Lord, our health, our relationships with others, our witness of faith, and our success at work. The Holy Spirit has been tasked with watching over us where the peace of Christ is concerned. Our Lord won this peace for us at the cross; It is now always available to us through our faith in Him. However, it is only released to us if we meet the conditions for receiving it (that's our faith response and response-ability).
The Holy Spirit is our Helper. He wants us to receive this peace more than we do ourselves. He works to help us get in proper position to receive it. But we are the do-ers; we have to do the things that make for peace. We have to submit and surrender to the Lord's leadership over our lives by trusting Him with what He allows and obeying Him in what He asks.
And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Colossians 3:15 AMP
Just because trouble, suffering or disease have been allowed, doesn't mean God caused it, desired it to happen, or wants it to stay. He wants us healthy in every way! Nevertheless, the fact that it has been allowed is always a test: Will we trust Him for allowing the trial and will we trust Him to show us the way through it that leads to life? Submitting to God in the midst of any trial restores us to peace and allows Him to raise us up.
Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:6-7 AMP
There is such a close connection between dis-ease and disease that had we been living more deeply in the peace of Christ, the illness may not have had a chance to tag us. Even now, the full restoration of peace might be just what is needed to break the grip of the enemy's hand upon the sickness, enabling our body to recover. At the very least, don't let the trial of illness be wasted: Go for a deeper, freer, healthier relationship with Jesus in the midst of it!
Scriptures with Prayers of Submission
And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. Luke 22:41-43
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13
And this is why I am suffering as I do. Still I am not ashamed, for I know (perceive, have knowledge of, and am acquainted with) Him Whom I have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on), and I am [positively] persuaded that He is able to guard and keep that which has been entrusted to me and which I have committed [to Him] until that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 AMP
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-9
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:16-17
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Next Healing Essential
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