Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. When He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Matthew 26:36-46)
Over my life, I have both agonized over and enjoyed praying. I have learned many lessons while praying or while others were praying. I have been taught about prayer through examples of others praying, books, classes, and devotional guides. There are memories of fear and anxiety as well as moments of peace, calm and assurance. I laughed and cried while praying. Sometimes the words won’t come out, but the praying in my head continues.
I’ve dwelled over the “counterintuitive” nature of this subject and pondered much over this passage. In the past, Matthew’s account of Jesus and the disciples in Gethsemane is also chronicled in Mark 14 and Luke 22, and very briefly in John 18. Though John’s account in the garden is brief, the chapters before Chapter 18 share some very important teachings. After His “last supper” with His closest followers, He walks to the Garden of Gethsemane coaching them about remaining close to each other and to Him. Jesus reminds them to stand in the truth they’ve received even when the current of the world is against them. He prompts them to wait for a “Counselor” (the Holy Spirit) to guide them when they will see Him no more. Then, He prays for Himself and for His followers — reminding them that they will get through this. Jesus even prays for you and for me. (John 17:20-23) That’s right, Jesus prayed for me that day because I am one who has believed in Jesus. As you read this, I pray you can rejoice because you realize that Jesus prayed for you too!
The walk from the upper room to the garden must have been interesting. Can you even imagine how they were thinking, looking at each other, just hanging on every word? I wonder if there was quiet time between the subjects Jesus covered. While in the garden, Jesus told them all He was going to pray. He asked Peter, James and John to go further with Him and shared His intense emotion (overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death) and asked them to keep watch. Because of His omniscient nature, He knew what was coming and asked for the cup He was facing to be taken from Him, but ultimately, He prayed for God’s will. Only Luke’s account tells us that “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And even though in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:43) These extra details serve to instruct us that Jesus was indeed human, He felt intensely, and He suffered in His prayer life. Maybe we are given this glimpse of Jesus’s vulnerability so we will better understand that all our prayer requests are not always answered as we would desire. Max Lucado writes in Come Thirsty: “Did God hear the prayer of his Son? Enough to send an angel? Did God spare his Son from death? No. The glory of God outranked the comfort of Christ. So Christ suffered, and God’s grace was displayed and deployed. And be encouraged. God’s ways are always right. They may not make sense to us. They may be mysterious, inexplicable, difficult, and even painful. But they are right.”
In an Experiencing God daily devotional written by Henry Blackaby and his son Richard, one day is entitled “The Agony of Prayer.” The first two sentences are: “Prayer is not difficult to understand. It is difficult to do.” Later in the same devotional, they say: “There are no books to read, seminars to attend, or inspirational mottoes to memorize that will transform us into intercessors. This comes only by committing ourselves to pray and then doing so.” From this same book, another day is entitled “Prayer is Preparation” and it says: “Prayer is designed to adjust you to God’s will, not to adjust God to your will. If God has not responded to what you are praying, you may need to adjust your praying to align with God’s agenda. Rather than focusing on what you would like to see happen, realize that God may be more concerned with what He wants to see happen in you.”
I have learned that prayer is a relationship. Prayer is not one-sided. It isn’t just about me talking to God about folks or situations on my prayer list or about me praying on behalf of a group. It’s also about listening to what God wants to say (or not say) to me! Sometimes as I pray in a group setting, I wonder if others are shaking their heads or smiling in agreement — or maybe they are wondering what I am really saying! I try to remember that He knows all the details of my life, the lives around me and about the situation I am praying about. I am astounded sometimes that my thoughts and words come from the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is just as important, if not more important, to listen to God’s guidance and wisdom instead of trying to tell God what to do! I have learned that I need to be confident in my prayer life — not because I am always praying as I should, but because I am praying to a God who wants only what is best for me. I am confident that He hears me, loves me, wants to be my best friend and gave His Son so that I can spend eternity with Him.
Consider Blackaby’s quote “Prayer is designed to adjust you to God’s will, not to adjust God to your will.” Wrestle with this truth for a moment. Looking back over your life, was there a time when this truth was played out in your story?
Write out a prayer to God and share three or four things with Him that are most concerning to you. Take your time and ask Him for Scriptures which could apply to your situation. (James 1:5)