Praying for God's will is a tricky thing. So often, we are in the habit of God's will correlating with our own pre-determined plan of action. Rather than actually praying for His divine guidance, our requests can come off like permission seeking endeavors.

Of course, this isn't to say that it is wrong for us to make plans and have ideas for implementation, especially in areas of spiritual growth and ministry, but we must be careful not to simply utter those words, "Thy will be done," and assume that God has signed off on our plans.

For instance, what happens when God's will becomes difficult to endure? What about when it calls for changes we didn't anticipate or worse, don't want? The will of God for our life is not always the easy, comfortable journey--see, that would be our will. It was exactly the dilemma that Jesus faced in the garden on the night before His crucifixion. He understood the will of God and He also knew it would be painful and dreadful. So He asks a question: could there be any other way? And then, with all faith and all conviction, He says those words that truly carry so much weight and power: not my will, but yours be done, Father.