Luke Chapter 22

I conclude briefly two points of the Prayer in the Garden Gethsemane.

At first, Lord Jesus emphasized on the importance of prayer: Pray, lest you enter into temptation.

Luk 22:40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Luk 22:46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Even though the disciples had been living with Jesus for a while and hearing the doctrines from Jesus directly, they still forgot the word of Jesus and fell into temptation over and over again.

The description about the argument about greatness between disciples in verses 24-30 has been appearing once in Chapter 9:46-48/mark9:33-37; Jesus has ever mentioned that whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me who sent Me (Mar9:37). No longer after some ones brought little children to Jesus, but the disciples rebuked them (Mar10:13); the last is that Jesus asked them exceedingly to watch and pray with him, but they instead of falling in sleep for three times.

Be considering the generation we are living is present evil, Satan always tries to hinter us to turn to God and may sift us as wheat, and Jesus is not physically guarding beside us now. Shall we not be more watchful and pray more intelligently to avoid falling into temptation? Although we have had the Holy Spirit, but we still need through the prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to have fellowship with God in spirit in order to fellow the guidance of God.

Second is how to pray? How to learn submit to God by the prayer?

Luk 22:42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

Submitting to God, I believe which is the most difficult lesson of all for every Christians to learn. Every time when I read verse 42, I am always touched by Jesus as a Son of Man also has weakness as we and before he faced the bitterness of the great salvation, he even begged the Father to take this cup away from him. Although he was suffering, he still put God’s will before his own. Because he has strong faith in God and submits to God, and then God strengthens him to fill up his insufficiency. The Lord Jesus has set up the model of submission by himself for us. So when I ask God to fulfill my desire in the prayer, I always say as Jesus said in the Garden Gethsemane” nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done”.

If things do not develop like that as we have asked God, we do not have to complain about why God did not answer to my prayer. Who else understands us more than the God in heaven? Who else knows what is the most suitable to us? He does not fulfill our requirement for he has prepared the best for us.

But sometimes he fulfills our requirement which is not always good. For example God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and extended his life for 15 years, but unexpected that Hezekiah lifted up his heart; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings Ch.20). He fulfills because his kindness bears our misbehaviors, so that the result always is not the best which God has prepared or even worse to death. Whatever, God is the all mighty and we must trust and submit him.

Rom 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.