Faith Beyond Our Control — Part 3: Trust God With the Outcome
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42 KJV.
In Part 1, we talked about prayer. In Part 2, we talked about the heart. But eventually, we come to a place where there is nothing left for us to do but surrender.
And surrender sounds easy until it requires us to release the outcome we desperately want.
Jesus Himself showed us what this kind of surrender looks like. He didn't hide what He desired from the Father. He prayed for what He wanted, but He also surrendered what He wanted to the will of God.
Today, I heard someone say that surrendering the outcome to God doesn't mean you doubt God. It releases you from needing a particular result.
That stayed with me.
Because sometimes we say we've given something to God, but we've only given Him the problem.
We're still holding onto the outcome.
We have already decided what answered prayer should look like.
Who should change.
Who should return.
What door should open.
How the situation should end.
And sometimes even when it should happen.
So we pray, but while we're waiting, we're watching everything around us for evidence that God is moving in the direction we want Him to move.
But is that surrender?
Or have we simply asked God to accomplish our will?
That's where faith becomes uncomfortable.
Throughout Scripture, we see people come to this same place—having to move forward without knowing or controlling exactly how everything would unfold.
Noah built the ark before he saw the flood. (Genesis 6:13–22).
Moses went back to Egypt without knowing every step that would follow. (Exodus 3:7–12; 4:18–20).
The widow in 2 Kings began pouring from the little oil she had, following the instructions she was given and trusting God to provide. (2 Kings 4:1–7).
Mordecai and Esther couldn't guarantee what would happen when Esther went before the king. Mordecai could only say:
“...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14 KJV.
Hannah prayed for a child. (1 Samuel 1:10–20).
Elijah prayed for the widow's son. (1 Kings 17:17–24).
Different circumstances. Different prayers. Different outcomes.
But when I look at each of them, I see a common thread:
Obedience. Submission. Faith. Trust.
They had to do what was theirs to do and trust God with what came next.
And isn't that where many of us struggle?
I know it can be hard to trust God when we don't see the possibility or when what we're praying for doesn't make logical sense.
Sometimes we know the person.
We know what we've seen.
We know what we've heard.
We know what our experiences tell us.
We know what appears possible and what appears impossible.
And if we're not careful, we can pray to an unlimited God while still measuring what He can do by our limited experiences.
But Scripture tells us:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight:” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV.
Trust is surrendering even when we have no clue what the future holds.
It's removing our will and our hands from the situation.
It's refusing to control or manipulate the final result—or even the steps in between.
It's remaining obedient when it's taking longer than we expected.
It's continuing to live while we wait.
And this brings us back to Jesus' prayer in the garden.
“Nevertheless...”
That one word changes everything.
I have told You what I desire.
I have prayed.
I have believed.
Nevertheless, I trust You more than I trust the outcome I want.
And maybe that's the greatest challenge of surrender:
Can I trust God when I don't know whether His answer will look like mine?
As we close this series, remember what we've learned.
We can pray.
We can intercede.
We can pray for their heart.
We can do whatever God requires of us.
But we cannot do someone else's part, and we cannot take over God's.
Eventually, faith requires us to open our hands.
To release the person.
Release the timing.
Release the process.
And yes—even release the outcome.
Not because we've stopped believing.
But because we trust God enough to surrender what we believe to what He knows.
We may think we know what's best.
But God truly knows what's best.
So after you've prayed, after you've obeyed, and after you've done what God has required of you, there comes a point when you have to say:
“Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.”
And leave it...
in His hands.
Reflection
What fears, worries, or anxieties are you currently facing that prevent you from trusting God with the outcome?
What have you already entrusted to His care?
How can you apply the same obedience, submission, faith, and trust as you surrender the outcome to God?
Prayer
Father God, we come to a place where we have to say, “Not my will, but Your will.”
Father, we ask for Your strength as we trust You with the final outcome of the prayers we have surrendered to You. Give us a calm spirit in our waiting so that our fear and anxiety will subside.
Guide our speech, thoughts, and actions so that we continue to stay in alignment with You.
Keep our faith alive and help us remain obedient. Help us not to fret, and help us to stand on Your Word during weary moments and when it seems like nothing is happening.
Give us the strength to relinquish control and trust You with the outcome.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Harriet Lane
Faith Beyond Our Control Series:
Part 1 — When Our Prayer Involves Someone Else
Part 2 — Pray for Their Heart
Part 3 — Trust God With the Outcome
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