Prayer Discussion Board 1

[pastorhelen]

Using Matthew 26:36-46, what lessons may one learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane.

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[Ben]

Here, are some lessons from the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane:
What is prayer?
Prayer is simply communication, conversation, fellowship with God that is borne out of the love of God with a consciousness of what God has already done in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

Lesson One: Jesus prayed to the God he had a relationship with. Matthew 26:39, 42. Jesus began his prayer by calling God Father. He showed us right there, that we should pray not as an obligation (a religious one at that) but because we have a relationship with God. The word Father, explains a connection that exist between God and the one praying.

During the Old Covenant and in the Old Testament, the people of God did not have this close connection with God and didn’t really know him as Father. The writers of the Old Testament lay greater emphasis on our distance from God and the reserve we should feel before him. God is revealed more as separate from us and beyond us, and he is seen less as intimate and close to us. But in the New Testament, although God remains holy and majestic in our eyes, Jesus adds a strikingly clear emphasis on God as Father—both his Father and our Father (John 20:17). It is the Spirit of the Son who leads us into intimacy with God as our own Abba Father (Gal. 4:6). It is therefore with this understanding that we should approach God in prayer and if we know that we have a relationship with him, we must also realize that he is interested in hearing us pray and to answer our prayers; even as a way of being involved in our lives.

Lesson Two: Jesus prayed according to the will of God (Matthew 26:39, 42). Often, we are faced with difficult situations and even life threatening issues that we want to talk to God about. However, we must realize that we do not belong to ourselves. Our relationship with the Father shows that we belong to God. It also shows that there are provisions made according to the will of the Father for his children. Every good father has intentions which often are good for their children.

God has good intentions in his will for us. So when we go to him in prayer and like Jesus did, we must look pass the overwhelming circumstances and seek his will in prayer as well as pray his will for our lives. We can trust him to deliver us and to come through for us according to his good pleasures in his will for us. At the moment, it might not seem realistic or effective praying his will but we must refuse the temptation of praying our situations as there is no faith in them to give us victory/the answers we need. Since we need answers and we want God to fix things up, let us pray his will (the word) for our lives.

Lesson Three: Jesus took his burdens to God in prayer (Matthew 26:36-39). In stead of thinking, complaining or worrying over his burdens, Jesus took them all to God in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7, tells us how to address the things that come against. We must learn to take whatever that is before us to God in prayer and leave it there with him.

It is already looking or seeming overwhelming. Why worry over it? Why allow it be your nightmare and fixed thought. We can turn to the Lord in prayer and trust him to fix things up.

Isaiah 38:2-6, Hezekiah got a very terrible news about his death but he immediately turned to the Lord in prayer and that report was changed. God is able to step in, lift burdens off our shoulders and strengthen us with the might that comes from him even when we need to go through a phase in life. There’s always an input to get from God. He never refuses us help when we need his help or intervention. Let us always create the time to pray about things that trouble us and not try to fix things all by ourselves.

[femionas]

I particularly love what you said in your second lesson about “God having good intentions in his will for us., and that, when we go to him in prayer just like Jesus did, we should look past the overwhelming circumstances and seek his will in prayer as well as pray his will for our lives”. God’s intentions for us are in his word. We can have good intentions however, but if they are contrary to God’s word, then we are moving in rebellion to God’s word – and that is not a good place to be Proverbs 3:7,
In Mathew 26: 38, Jesus told his disciples that the soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: and in verse 39, the bible said he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed to God, that if it were possible that the cup should pass from him. All this tells us that, he was overwhelmed by the situation in front of him, the burden he had to carry, but thank God, he quickly submitted to the will of God by saying, Not my will, but thy will be done.
The lesson for us here is that we should always align with the Will of God for our lives. And that prolonged seasons of waiting that we experience sometimes is not an indication that God has forgotten about us, it is either that it is not yet the time for it to manifest, or that it is not in his will because God always has good intentions for his children.

[Wechie]

I agree that one lesson will can learn from the prayer at Gethsemane is that Jesus prayed according to the will of God; God truly has good intentions for us hence his will for our lives is better than any plan we can have for ourselves.
I’d like to add that;

Choosing God’s choice for us is not always going to be an easy decision.
Matthew 26:38-39; Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus knew the will of God was for him to be made an offering for Sin. He was asking if there was another way to accomplish it besides the obvious way he could see ahead; yet at the same time he was affirming to God that he was laying aside his will and was committed to God’s will; to not only accomplishing God’s purpose for him but also going about it the way God specified.
Sometimes we find ourselves in similar situation; we know what God would have us do and how he would have us do it, we know it’s going to cost us so we try to coerce God into giving us easier alternatives; but God can’t be coerced.
In times like this we can follow the footsteps of Christ; we do not deny the reality of what God requires of us, we recognize it yet willingly surrender.
In summary, God’s will ultimately will unfold, but through obedience, though it be daunting at times what will be birthed will be for His glory and our benefit.

[Pchris]

My reply to Ben
Your point that Jesus prayed according to the will of God is very important for every believer to pray according to God’s will. First off, we were created to do God’s will here on earth, we must let our will override God’s will. Jesus set the perfect example of what prayer is not, prayer is not a way of getting God to put a stamp of approval on your plans and coercing Him to agree with your will and way.
Jesus also set a great example that you can be vulnerable before God, it is not a sign of weakness but it shows total submission, you have come to Him just as you are and just as you feel. There is no need to pretend before God. Just as you said, we do not need to deny the reality of what God requires of us , we should surrender willingly to God.

[femionas]

USING MATTHEW 26:36-46, WHAT LESSONS MAY ONE LEARN FROM JESUS’ PRAYER IN GETHSEMANE.

Mathew 26: 36 – 46 highlights the human side of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by referring to his grief, anguish and sorrow. In his prayers, he asked God the father is there is another way for his plan to be accomplished. However, almost as soon as he said this he realizes and accepts that God’s will must be done. Mathew 26: 36 -29. NKJV.
He acknowledges that the “hour has cone” for the son of God to be glorified by “finishing the work” he has come to do. Mathew 36: 44- 46. NJKV, Then he prayed for his disciples to be protected as they take the truth into the world. He also prayed for those who will believe in him through the message delivered by the disciples.

There are so many lessons to be learnt from Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane. Some of them are :

• Jesus Christ demonstrates the priority of submitting to the Fathers will. Verse 39 “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” He remained reverent, he was not demanding or harsh towards his father, he did not lose his grip on the faithfulness of God even in the situation he was. We must always pray in line with the will of God. We must submit to the will of God.

• He taught us how to take full advantage of the privilege of prayer Mathew 26 : 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? This teaches us that we should always pray to God just as Jesus prayed to the father.

• He taught us how to deal with sufferings and temptation. Mathew 26: 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus taught us to pray for victory over temptation.

• The need for intercessors / prayer partners. Mathew 26: 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” This gives some ease to the troubled soul, when he has some trusted friends or confidants praying with him

• We also leant that we should be watchful at all time. (watch and pray) in verse :45, “Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” We leant the importance of keeping watch in Prayer.

• Most time we use our suffering as justification for blaspheming God’s name or talking about him like he is not a good God, But from Jesus’s experience in Gethsemane, we see how wrong. God dis not allow Jesus suffer because he did not care, rather, he allowed him go through all that because he cares so much. Jesus shows his belief that God is still good all the time.

[femionas]

I particularly love what you said in your second lesson about “God having good intentions in his will for us., and that, when we go to him in prayer just like Jesus did, we should look past the overwhelming circumstances and seek his will in prayer as well as pray his will for our lives”. God’s intentions for us are in his word. We can have good intentions however, but if they are contrary to God’s word, then we are moving in rebellion to God’s word – and that is not a good place to be Proverbs 3:7,
In Mathew 26: 38, Jesus told his disciples that the soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: and in verse 39, the bible said he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed to God, that if it were possible that the cup should pass from him. All this tells us that, he was overwhelmed by the situation in front of him, the burden he had to carry, but thank God, he quickly submitted to the will of God by saying, Not my will, but thy will be done.
The lesson for us here is that we should always align with the Will of God for our lives. And that prolonged seasons of waiting that we experience sometimes is not an indication that God has forgotten about us, it is either that it is not yet the time for it to manifest, or that it is not in his will because God always has good intentions for his children.

[Pchris]

PRAYER- Means communication, Fellowship (koinonia) with God. Prayer is what gives God pleasure and throughout Jesus’ stay here on earth, we see Him practice different types of Prayer . A believer is encouraged to live a life just like Christ and the aspect of Prayer is worthy of emulation.
The main purpose of the life we received is to get to know God more and more everyday . We get to know God’s deepest desires for us in the place of prayer.
Now focusing on Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, here are lessons one can learn.
1) Jesus prayed based on relationship – In verse 39′ He referred to God as “My Father” , this showed that He was praying from a place of intimacy and close relationship. “my” is translated “mou” which means mine(own), my. Every believer should strive to build intimacy with God. Intimacy with God , reveals who He is and His will for you at all times. “It is not a luxury to hear from God” ( in reference to Pastor Nkechi) , every believer should be familiar with the voice of God and your voice should also be consistent in God’s ears.
2) He Prayed the right Prayer at the right time.
There are different kinds of prayer and it is important for one to pray the right kind of prayer at the right time to enable it to be effective and produce result. Jesus prayed the prayer of Concencration to submit to God’s will. He knew the will of God for Him was to be made a sacrifice for sin , He was asking if it can be accomplished in some other way than the way He could see ahead. This is because Jesus was in flesh and had feelings and emotions but He didn’t let how or what he felt deprive Him of fulfilling God’s will.
We should learn to concencrate and submit ourselves to the will of God because in any situation, God is faithful to give you something even better than your desires as well as change your desires to line up with His will. This is one prayer where can’t pretend before God, you come to Him just as you are.
3) Jesus was conscious of God’s supremacy
Jesus remained conscious of God’s supremacy over all things. Even when there was a tendency for Him to be overwhelmed by the situation, He remained conscious, that God is sovereign. We should learn from Jesus as a good example , despite the great suffering that laid ahead of Him , He was never carried away but remained conscious that God is supreme.
4) Jesus emphasized on the importance of Prayer
The importance of prayer in the life of a believer cannot be overemphasized. In verse ’41 ” Watch lest you fall into temptation” . A believer should ensure that prayer is not an occasional practice but a frequent, consistent and intentional act. Jesus admonished His disciples for sleeping at such a crucial time and urged them to pray even if they do not feel like it. Prayer should be a consistent and deliberate act where even if you do not feel like it, you push yourself to start and let the Holy spirit carry you on. Sometimes you can start off weak and tired and feel you can’t pray past 1 hour, but as you continue , you find out that you have exceeded the time you expected and you are even more energetic.
5) Pray until something happens
Jesus stayed at the place of prayer until His appointed time came . We are enjoying the gift of salvation today because of the sacrifice of Jesus . He knew , that though the task was not going to be an easy one , it was going to be worth it in the end . He prayed until His purpose was fulfilled here in earth. As believers, we should constantly communicate with God to ensure we are still on the right track of fulfilling our God given destiny. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ” Pray without ceasing” . In good times or bad times we are expected to pray. Your situation should not determine when you should or should not pray.

[Paulpraze]

LESSONS FROM JESUS’S PRAYER IN GETHSEMANE
MATTHEW 26:36-46
Jesus, while He walked this earth, not only taught on the subject of prayer as seen in Matthew 6, but was a man given to prayer. According to Luke’s account on Jesus teaching His disciples to pray, their request to be taught came right after Jesus returned from one of His prayer sessions. Luke 11:1.
Prayer was indeed His lifestyle, it was a way for life for Him, it was a habit. It was not an occasional event but a practice.
Luke 22:39 (NKJV).
MATTHEW 26:36-46
A number of lessons can be learnt from Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane.
1. According to Luke’s account in Luke 22:39 (NKJV), this activity of Jesus praying was a custom for Him. This was not a one off even that Jesus was attempting to carry, and required the help of His disciples in doing so. Prayer was a lifestyle for Him.
2. There are times or moments in a believer’s life, wen we need the strength and support fellow believers or brothers and sisters in Christ in the place of prayer. Needing help sometimes in prayer is clearly not something to be ashamed of. If Jesus needed their support system, so can would we and so can we. Proverbs 27:17.
It is however important to note, that not every believer is fit or qualified for this role in our lives. Jesus had more than twelve disciples, but only took three of them on this journey. Matthew 26:37-38.
3. Prayer requires us to be open and honest with our Heavenly Father. Jesus clearly demonstrates this truth as we see in Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39. He did not come before the Father in pretense. He was open and honest about His feelings about the task at hand.
One way for the believer to be able to demonstrate such openness with the Father is by being conscious of his or her righteousness in Christ, so that unlike Adam, if we fall as believers, we can still come boldly before our Father. Hebrews 4:16.
4. Jesus did not try to use his prayer as a means of overturning God’s will or changing God’s mind about the task at hand, rather, this time of prayer was used to submit His will to the will of the Father, and receive the required strength of the Father to do what the Father wills. Matthew 26:39.
It is important for the believer to know, that God never intended for prayer to be used as a tool or weapon against Him. It was never meant to be means of getting God to approve our will, plans and pursuits.
5. Jesus expected His disciples, and by extension the believer today, to pray, in spite of the satiations that may surround us, our even our emotional state or feelings. In verse 37 of Matthew 26, we are told, that the disciples were sorrowful and very heavy. Luke 22:45 tells us that the did not pray because they were sorrowful. In spite of how they felt, Jesus still instructed and expected them to pray nonetheless.
However, Jesus’s example showed that, in spite of we may feel, we must pray, for he exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, yet He prayed.

[Author]

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