Jesus' habit of prayer
One passage which always speaks to me is from Luke 22, beginning with verse 39:
Jesus went out as usual (some versions say as was his habit) to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, Jesus said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Two things always strike me about this passage:
Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken from Him, but not my will but Yours be done. Ultimately Jesus wanted His Father's will to be done. He knew what was about to transpire, not only would he be beaten and scorned, put through the mockery of a trial, and then suffer the excruciating physical death on the Cross, he would be separated from His Father until He was resurrected. He had never been separated from His Father....never
Secondly, the disciples were sleeping, exhausted from sorrow. Most of us know the type of exhaustion they were experiencing. I took my father to the St. Luke's ER 01/08/08 and he was just released to a skilled care center and should be home in another 2 weeks. I am exhausted. So many times when I needed to be in serious prayer over the last few weeks, not just for him but other people and issues as well, I was so tired, I could barely pray, would lose my focus, or fall asleep. It's normal, we are human beings...there are limits to our endurance.
When we are faced with a situation of complete physical and mental exhaustion which may or may not be accompanied by spiritual exhaustion as well, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for us. We are to lift each other up in prayer.
I Thess 5:10-11 says:
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Do not be afraid to ask trusted friends to pray. You are not supposed to "have it all together" all the time. We are not lone rangers...we are members of the Body of Christ.
Jesus went out as usual (some versions say as was his habit) to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, Jesus said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Two things always strike me about this passage:
Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken from Him, but not my will but Yours be done. Ultimately Jesus wanted His Father's will to be done. He knew what was about to transpire, not only would he be beaten and scorned, put through the mockery of a trial, and then suffer the excruciating physical death on the Cross, he would be separated from His Father until He was resurrected. He had never been separated from His Father....never
Secondly, the disciples were sleeping, exhausted from sorrow. Most of us know the type of exhaustion they were experiencing. I took my father to the St. Luke's ER 01/08/08 and he was just released to a skilled care center and should be home in another 2 weeks. I am exhausted. So many times when I needed to be in serious prayer over the last few weeks, not just for him but other people and issues as well, I was so tired, I could barely pray, would lose my focus, or fall asleep. It's normal, we are human beings...there are limits to our endurance.
When we are faced with a situation of complete physical and mental exhaustion which may or may not be accompanied by spiritual exhaustion as well, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for us. We are to lift each other up in prayer.
I Thess 5:10-11 says:
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Do not be afraid to ask trusted friends to pray. You are not supposed to "have it all together" all the time. We are not lone rangers...we are members of the Body of Christ.
Comments
very deep.
I like it alot.