Prayer Journal
Monday, September 30, 2002
"So he left them again and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing." Matthew 26:44
Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and invited Peter, James and John to go with him. He told them to sit and wait while he went alone to pray. But as Jesus prayed, the three were overcome with drowsiness and fell asleep.
This account of Matthew's was included in Scripture so we would know how important it is to pray and be alert against our sinful nature that works against us. But how did Jesus' words, alone in the Garden of prayer, become known to Matthew, the author of this text?
Jesus may have been praying out loud while the disciples listened to his words and they relayed it to Matthew later. More likely he learned the specifics of the event from Jesus' own mouth after the resurrection. One thing for sure, the last thing they heard from Jesus before his crucifixion was his words of disappointment voiced at Gethsemane.
Anyway you look at it, Jesus wanted to make sure the failure of the three men was included in the text. When He expected them to pray with him, they slept. He woke them up and asked again for their prayer support but the disciples fell asleep again. Three times in all, Jesus left them to pray to find they would not.
Have you faced an embarassing failure, so disappointing that you thought you could never get over it? If we're honest, most of us will admit that we have. But if we learn one thing from the Gethsemane account and the events following it that God is long suffering and forgiving. Even though we mess up, He is the God of one more opportunity.
How will we respond to yet another opportunity? Will we neglect the gift of one more chance to get it right? Or will we be found faithful and get it right?
Consider Jesus' three friends in the Garden the next time you are tempted to roll over and go asleep when God says it's time to get up and work. Who knows how many chances you'll have to get it right.
Just Thinkin'... WebServant
Scripture comes from
the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International
Bible Society
Copyright © 1998-2002
James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries - All Rights Reserved
I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers
* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans
* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself
