Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT

Wednesday, March 24th

Mount of Olives, Luke 22:39-46 - Written by Gail Clark

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.  On reaching the place,
he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.  When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.  “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.  “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”  Luke 22:39-46

While Jesus was in the garden, He knew the agony He was about to face.  He spoke to His heavenly father asking for the cup to be removed.  Jesus recognized that God sent an angel to strengthen Him during His struggle.  He also prayed for God's will to be done.  We may pray a similar prayer as Jesus, but many times what we really want is for our will to be done. We live in an "I deserve it" culture.

Jesus also knew the temptations His disciples would face and their struggle to resist and overcome them.  The disciples were "exhausted from sorrow."  They fell asleep rather than obeying Jesus' command to pray.

Are you asleep when it comes to following God's word?  Do you only "wake up" when you're faced with adversity and then choose God's counsel and intervention?

Jesus went to His usual place, spoke to His father, and expected to hear an answer.  Do
you have a usual place, does He recognize your voice, do you expect to hear an answer?  

 

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