Holy Week: Betrayal, Arrest, & Condemnation - Disciple Maker Series #25Sample

Jesus' Prayer in Gethsamane  

Thoughts on the message

This is called Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer.

Praying – and learning to pray – is critical for our lives.

Jesus prayed for three hours the night before He died. The battle to be obedient to God and to die on the cross for us was won here. He did not want to face the cross – even though that is why He came. So this battle to be obedient was very difficult.

He asked His three closest friends to pray with Him. They could not stay awake and pray with Him; they were so tired that they slept. Jesus challenges them to pray for strength to stay awake – they still could not do it. As a result, they were not able to face the battle of Jesus’ death; they all ran away when it was difficult.

God challenges us to be people who pray.

· pray for strength to deal with challenges we face.

· pray for strength for others that face challenges too big for them to deal with.

· pray with others so that we overcome the big challenges.

· pray for strength to pray (sometimes we do not even have the strength to pray).

Prayer

Father, as I read this passage I am struck by the need to pray more. I need to pray for my family and friends as they deal with difficult situations. Strengthen my heart to pray more. Strengthen my heart to pray together over problems that are too big for me or for them. Together, we will see the same kind of victory that Jesus saw – victory to deal with the greatest challenges that we face with Your love, Your heart for people and Your patience and compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.