The Fine Line

There is a fine line of distinction between cynicism and submission in adding the phrase “Thy will be done” to our prayers. As our class was studying the chapter on “Prayer and Physical Healing” in Philip Yancey’s book “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference” some in the class expressed their cynicism. The chapter was disappointing to them because it essentially said, “Answers to prayer for healing are so random and unpredictable that we can’t prove that prayer has any effect upon the sick.

On one side of the line is cynicism and skepticism—prayer is ineffective and unnecessary, even irrelevant. It has no discernable effect in curing the illness, so the phrase “Thy will be done” is a cop-out. It’s something to say as an escape clause one can use to excuse or explain away God’s inaction.

On the other side of the line is faith and submission—prayer is essential and invited, even though in the end God, who sees the big picture, my not grant the request as prayed. God may answer differently from what we desire, but we accept the fact that he knows best, and we acquiesce to His will.

This line of distinction is important. If we know there is a line, we can discern on which side of it we stand—and on which side we want to stand. We then have a choice.

If we don’t know the line exists, we may think that where we stand is the way life always must be. So the cynic must remain cynical. The person of faith must never become cynical.

But to believe is a choice. To ask in prayer is a step of faith and of humility. We ask. We don’t demand or presume. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (II Cor. 5:7)

In the end, then, “Thy will be done” is either a cop-out or an act of submission. The end of the journey depends on where it begins and which direction one takes. On which side of the line do we stand when we say it? And do we move toward faith or away from it?

Hope for the future is the destination of those on the side of faith. Despair is the destination for those on the side of cynicism. The fine line is important—for our future.