Prayer: More than I think

He came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him. When he was at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation.”

He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

An angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

When he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief, and said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:39-46 (WEB, my emphasis)

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’. But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”

But Peter answered him, “Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.”

Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” All of the disciples also said likewise.                                                       Matthew 26:31-35 (WEB, my emphasis)

Jesus is in the last hours of His time with His disciples. And He is also in the final moments before the finality of His mission. What does Jesus do? He prays. We must remember that Jesus was God but He was also fully human. He knew temptation. He must have felt the presence of His enemy who was doing all he could to undermine Jesus’ focus. Satan would have loved to get Jesus off track. Every step, every word that Jesus took or said had a part in God’s plan. And so He prayed. He did it to show me. He did it because that’s what God’s children do.

Jesus says that “all” of us will stumble in our temptation. No one is exempt. We must not fear the temptation or think that we have no choices. We do. And our first choice is to pray…every day. Exercise my spiritual muscles and pray.

The more time I spend in prayer, in conversation with God, the closer we become.  In prayer, I come into line with God.  I begin to know His ways, His thoughts, and His heart.  In prayer, my flesh is crucified.  In prayer, my faith increases, my trust in God increases.

It is also so important to remember that we are warned in these Scriptures not to ever think that falling cannot happen to me. The enemy knows his time is short and he is rabid to get us off God’s path and on to his path.

The Bible, God’s inspired Word, gives us so many examples of prayer. Take some time and look at prayer in the lives of these people. Look at what they said. Look at how God answered.

Genesis 25:21   Isaac prays for Rebekah
Exodus 9:29    Moses prays to stop one of the plagues
2 Samuel 7:18  David prays
1 Kings 8:22    Solomon prays
Nehemiah 1:8   Nehemiah prays
Job 42:9   Job prays for his friends
Psalms all of them are prayers! Pick one!
Daniel 9:3   Daniel prays
Habakkuk 3:1   Habakkuk prays
John 17    Jesus prays
Acts 1:14  All the disciples and followers meet together and pray
Philippians 1:9   Paul prays

Excuse me. I am going to go pray. Won’t you join me?