Jesus'
prayer in Gethsemane shows how to respond to anxiety and stay within
God's will. Jesus
was under great pressure. He said, "My soul is overwhelmed with
sorrow to the point of death.” (Mark
14:34)
Have
you ever experienced that level of stress; waiting for the results of
a medical test or facing the aftermath of a life changing event?
Physical symptoms include loss of sleep, weakness, and inability to
concentrate. Stress can ruin your day.
Anticipation
– even with an assured outcome – brings stress. Jesus was
distressed even though he knew he would rise in 3 days. He turned to
our heavenly Father in prayer.
This
was not a casual chat with God about a concern or desire. It wasn’t
a polished, formal prayer. It follows the pattern of laments in the
Psalms when one would pour out emotions and complaints. It’s the
prayer we pray when we’ve run out of options; with our lives turned
upside down and headed in a bad direction.
Jesus
cried out “Abba, Father...” (Mark
14:36)
This
is an informal way of addressing one's father. It isn’t a sign of
disrespect, but of trust that God hears and cares. Some might think
it a little disrespectful to address Our Father Who Art in Heaven as
“daddy” but, when we are in a Gethsemane-like experience, we need
to pray as a child to a loving father.
We’re
so used to “doing” things to solve our problems that prayer seems
a waste of time.
Praying
doesn’t often look like its doing anything but we need to wait on
God. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah
40:31)
Jesus
was strengthened by supernatural power. Three
times Jesus asked the Father to find another way for Him to do His
mission but he ended His prayer: “Yet, not what I will, but as You
will." (Mark
14:36)
Jesus
submits entirely to the Father’s will. Luke
tells us that an angel from heaven strengthened Jesus. (Luke
22:43) For
every Gethsemane there is an angel to come along side and strengthen
us. God sent ravens
to feed Elijah. He provided manna
for the Israelites in the wilderness. He will take care of you.
If
you're going through a Gethsemane experience, you can still
experience God's presence and comfort. Prayer will transform our pain
into spiritual growth through supernatural strength.
No comments:
Post a Comment