Jesus does not ask us to do what we are incapable of doing. However, He does asks us to give what we have, even when all we have is His power through us. In today’s reading Peter and John come across a man who had been crippled from birth and wanted nothing more than to be healed. Peter’s response in Acts 3:6, Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Peter literally had nothing to give this man other than the healing power God. When we face tough situations we can approach it in one of two ways: 1) we can say we do not have the necessary skills or resources, or 2) we can realize the creator of the universe has the ability to do anything, including working on our behalf and even through us.

Today we read Jesus’ prayer to His Father in heaven. This is a beautiful and respectful dialogue from Jesus expressing His willingness to move on after completing the mission God set before Him. As I read this prayer, I could not help but wonder what it would have been like if Jesus had remained longer on earth. What if He had stayed to reign over all creation? But then I remembered that God’s plan is perfect. Jesus completed all the tasks He had set out to do. Jesus commissioned His disciples to begin passing down the gospel to the world. And then the realization hit me… God’s plan worked and I am a product of the success of that plan and so are you.

In today’s reading one of the things that struck me was during Jesus’ arrest, when a disciples cut the ear off one of the men in the crowd and Jesus healed the man. He did this in front of all the men in the crowd. You would think these men would recognize who Jesus was based on this alone, but they still proceeded to arrest Him. This was not an accident and was done to fulfill God’s ultimate plan. God’s will does not always lead down the easy path, but it is still perfect. We must trust His will and know His plan has a purpose that impacts the entire Kingdom, not just our personal existence.

One of the things I love reading is how Jesus was both man and God. Jesus knew His role and purpose, yet He did not look forward to His human suffering. You can hear these two forces as He prayed to God in Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” God never promised our lives would be easy, but He did promise our lives would be fulfilling if we follow Him. We must all remember this life is simply a moment in the light of eternity. Living it to the fullest will not always be easy, but we have the opportunity to impact the world greatly if we listen and are willing to be used by Him.

Our prayers are often motivated by our own interests. Yet Jesus tells us to ask anyway. Mark 11:24 says, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Notice that it says that you should believe it will be yours, not that it will be yours. Our faith needs to be that all things are possible through God, but in the end it must be according to His will, not our own selfish desires.