Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

In the kingdom of God, prayer is the prescription for my trouble. The intensity of the prayer should be at par with the intensity of the problem. Jesus' problem was great indeed. It was not fear of torture and death, though that may be enough to trouble me. But it was the prospect of having to drink of the cup. This cup represents the work of redemption on the cross. It represents the bearing of the sin of all humanity with all its shame and guilt and condemnation. Jesus was to bear the wrath of God in our place. Now that is troublesome. All my problems pale in comparison.

When my trouble is difficult to bear on my own, I should recruit supporters to pray with me and for me. Jesus took his disciples to pray and he even chose his inner circle to be closer to him as he prayed. Unfortunately, the disciples were too tired to pray. They could not watch with him, not even one hour. Jesus was so troubled that he prayed three times the same prayer: if it was possible for the cup to pass from him. On all three occasions, the disciples fell asleep. I have fallen asleep plenty a times instead of watching and praying.

When temptation is at hand, I must watch and pray to prevent falling into it, seeking for a way out. Jesus' temptation at that moment was to refuse to drink of the cup, but he surrendered his will to the Father through prayer. He humbled himself to ensure that his human will would not interfere with the Father's will. How many times my will does not want to do the will of God? I have wrestled and unfortunately, I have not been victorious because I don't come in humility. I come demanding what I want.

I must discipline my flesh to follow the desires of the spirit because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This is the main reason for spiritual discipline. It is to train the flesh to follow the spirit and not the other way around. Unfortunately, the disciples missed their opportunity to prepare for what was to come. They were unprepared and responded with violence, fear, and denial of Christ. How many times have I missed the opportunity to prepare in prayer for lack of discipline?

Lord, thank you for your willingness to drink the cup to redeem me. Teach me to pray. May I discipline myself to seek you day by day to prepare for life's challenges. May I seek you especially when I am in trouble.