Pray!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:36-46

That night in the garden, Jesus knew what he was facing, he knew the severity of the task that lie ahead, he knew everything, yet he prayed. As I read this I thought about the weight of sorrow that Jesus carried, how much was for me? How much more did I place upon Jesus? Jesus is praying and he does ask this to be taken away if possible, but then he says “yet not as I will, but as you will. Such selflessness! As hard as this is, Jesus knows the reason….us---you and I, and his love for us is so much greater than anything that he will face. I continue to think of the sins in my life that cause Jesus sorrow and pain, how many times has he shook his head when I disappointed him? I often wonder when I fail him, when I don’t do what I knew I was suppose to, what is Jesus thinking. Is he thinking why don’t she get it, I died on the cross for her and she knows that, yet she continues to mess up. You know he may be thinking that, but every time I come to him and ask for forgiveness---he gives it to me, he pours his grace and love down upon me and restores me when I am at my lowest.

I will continue to mess up, but Jesus knows that and that is why he is telling us to pray. He is telling us that no matter how much sorrow you carry, your answer is prayer! There is no burden too great for our Father, but we have to go to him, we have to lay it down before him. Jesus is trying to tell his disciples this, he reminds them that although ‘your body may be weak, your spirit is willing‘. He tells them to ‘watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation‘. Jesus knows that prayer will build our spiritual strength, prayer will get us through anything that we face. You know there is a scripture in the Bible that tells us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and I often wondered how to do that, but it is just telling us that we should always be in conversation with God, our mind should always be upon him and we should always be seeking him in all that we do. Prayer is our conversation with God. I think of all my conversations with one of my closet friends and how our relationship is built and strengthened by our communication with one another. Through prayer, our relationship with Jesus Christ only grows deeper, our faith grows stronger, and our spirit is renewed and strengthened with every word spoken.