While He Prayed
His friends were sleeping while He prayed.
He knew their hearts were hurting and their minds were troubled. They did not understand what He was doing. How could they?
In the upper room after the feast of Passover, He had shared with them what would come. Yet they still could not comprehend the final outcome of His life, His mission.
They had all boldly and courageously proclaimed that they would never let Him die alone.. not without them.
In the fog of their understanding, His words of life and resurrection seemed to have slipped past them unnoticed.
In the garden, He had asked them to pray as they waited for Him. "Pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Yet, in exhaustion from their sorrow at the dreadful words of His portending death, they fell into the temptation of sleep.
While He prayed for them in that dark night, they slept. While He pled with the Father to remove the cup of wrath, they slept. As He prayed obedience "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done" they slept.
He had simply asked them to pray. To pray so that they did not fall.
What has He asked the church, us, me.. to do? Do we sleep while He keeps His bride lifted up before the Father?
He knows our hearts are hurting. He knows when we are filled to overflowing with joy! He knows what we need to make it through the day. He provides our everything.
He asks us to pray... to avoid the temptation of dark sleep..to remember His words of life....to wake up! He hopes for our obedience... for our prayer of "Nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done Lord"
"The great need of the Church in this and all ages is men of such commanding faith, of such unsullied holiness, of such marked spiritual vigor and consuming zeal, that they will work spiritual revolutions through their mighty praying." (E.M. Bounds)
He knew their hearts were hurting and their minds were troubled. They did not understand what He was doing. How could they?
In the upper room after the feast of Passover, He had shared with them what would come. Yet they still could not comprehend the final outcome of His life, His mission.
They had all boldly and courageously proclaimed that they would never let Him die alone.. not without them.
In the fog of their understanding, His words of life and resurrection seemed to have slipped past them unnoticed.
In the garden, He had asked them to pray as they waited for Him. "Pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Yet, in exhaustion from their sorrow at the dreadful words of His portending death, they fell into the temptation of sleep.
While He prayed for them in that dark night, they slept. While He pled with the Father to remove the cup of wrath, they slept. As He prayed obedience "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done" they slept.
He had simply asked them to pray. To pray so that they did not fall.
What has He asked the church, us, me.. to do? Do we sleep while He keeps His bride lifted up before the Father?
He knows our hearts are hurting. He knows when we are filled to overflowing with joy! He knows what we need to make it through the day. He provides our everything.
He asks us to pray... to avoid the temptation of dark sleep..to remember His words of life....to wake up! He hopes for our obedience... for our prayer of "Nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done Lord"
"The great need of the Church in this and all ages is men of such commanding faith, of such unsullied holiness, of such marked spiritual vigor and consuming zeal, that they will work spiritual revolutions through their mighty praying." (E.M. Bounds)
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