Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. Luke 22:42 (NKJV)
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to faith is a misinterpretation of Jesus’ prayer in Luke 22:42. Many people assume that this verse means we cannot know God’s will on any matter.
There certainly are times when we can pray this prayer. When we are going through a situation and the Bible gives no indication of God’s will on the matter, this prayer makes sense.
For example, if we are praying about a new job opportunity or whether to move, we can’t flip to a page in the Bible that says, “Yes, take the job,” or “No, stay where you are.” In these cases, we can pray that God’s will would be shown to us through the still, small voice of Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, when we pray for things that the Bible is clear God already promised us, it makes no sense to pray “if it is your will” prayers.
If I promised to give one of my kids a new car, it would make no sense for them to repeatedly say, “Dad, if it’s your will, please buy me a new car.” More than likely they would say, “Dad, I’m so excited that you’re buying me a new car! Thank you!”
The second you attach an ‘if’ to what you believe, you stop believing.
When you say, “Please heal me if it is your will,” that’s not faith. Instead, say, “I’m so excited that you’re healing me, Father! Thank you!”