Note 1 at Lk. 22:42: Much damage has been done by a misunderstanding and misapplication of these verses. Jesus did not set a precedent for praying, "Lord, if it be thy will" as we hear it used today.

Jesus knew it was the Father's will for Him to be made an offering for the sins of the world, as can be seen by the fact that He had prophesied His death and resurrection many times before (see note 1 at Mt. 17:22, p. 213). However, because of His unique relationship with God (see notes 4-8 at Jn. 5:19-23, p. 98; see note 4 at Mk. 12:29, p. 383), Jesus was asking to accomplish God's will some other way but at the same time affirming His commitment to do His Father's will and not His own.

He was not at a loss to know God's will and therefore left this time of prayer trusting that whatever the Father deemed best for Him would happen. He knew when He began praying what the Father's will was and He knew at the close of His prayer that God's will could be accomplished no other way. This is evident by His statements in Matthew 26:45-46 and Mark 14:41-42.

For us to pray, "Lord, if it be thy will" in response to a promise that God has given us is nothing but unbelief and is not even remotely related to what Jesus did here in the Garden of Gethsemane.

One of the foundational principles of answered prayer is that we must believe that we receive when we pray (Mk. 11:24). There is no way that we can fulfill that condition if we don't know God's will in that situation. Praying, "if it be thy will" takes us out of the active position of believing and puts us in a passive position of waiting and letting circumstances rule our lives.

If we are seeking direction in an area where God's will is not already expressed through His Word, then we should pray James 1:5 for wisdom, which we can believe that we receive when we pray, and then with that knowledge continue our prayer in faith. We should not be ignorant but understanding what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17).

The only appropriate way to pray, "if it be thy will" is when we are dedicating ourselves to the service of God, regardless of where or what that may be.