Today is the 27th day of Lent, a 40 day season of spiritual reflection, repentance, and renewal. During these 40 days we’ll explore the prayer life of Jesus, walking chronologically through every mention of Jesus’ prayer life and prayers in the Gospels.
Here is today’s prayer event: 36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Matt. 26:36-46 ESV)
Notice the first part of this prayer: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” These words flow from a heart that is “sorrowful and troubled” and a soul that is “very sorrowful, even to death.” Three times, Luke tells us, this sorrowful and troubled Jesus prayed “the same words.”
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…”
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…”
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…”
This is a lament. A complaint. Jesus is despondent. He deeply dislikes his circumstances and desperately begs God to change them. Jesus does not keep his “happy face” on. He does not piously pretend nothing is wrong. Instead, he is honest with the Father about his feelings and frustrations. He puts the sorrow and trouble into words and groans them out to the Father.
What frustrations have you been holding back? What despair has gone unspoken to God? What laments have you not lamented to the Father? Take some time today and be honest and transparent with God. Put your own sorrow and trouble into words and pray them out loud. This will be one of the first steps toward dealing successfully with those circumstances.
SHARE WITH THE READERS BELOW: DO YOU PRAY IN THIS WAY OFTEN? WHY? WHY NOT?
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No, I don’t pray that way. It’s not that I don’t have frustrations, sadness, complaints—I do, and I share those with my friends and family. Why don’t I share them with God? I’m not sure. I think I feel uncomfortable complaining to God—disrespectful, ungrateful, selfish, whining, demanding. Maybe I think that a good deal of my sorrow I bring on myself, and I’m reluctant to complain to God about that. Although I certainly don’t think of God as smug, I imagine him thinking, “I told you so” in a sad, disappointed sort of way. This is an area where I could grow in my prayer life for sure.
I do/have prayed this way. In fact up until recently I felt like I’ve been wrestling with God about what “could have been”/”should have been.” Only recently have I accepted the “cup” and moved on. God, I feel, is big enough to handle my anger and complaints. Any true friend will accept you for who you are and see the potential for who you can really be and STILL love you despite your weaknesses. God is better than a true friend.
It amazes me that God calls Abraham his friend, even when he lies and doesn’t trust enough in God to believe him at first…but Abraham’s faith in God grows and we get an awesome glimpse of it when he reasons that God can bring his son back from the dead and intends to offer him on the altar to the Lord.
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