An Honest Prayer
Posted by Karah
PAUSE
Think of a time when God asked you to endure a difficult situation. Take a minute to look back on that time, specifically examining how God worked in your life. Thank Him for opening your eyes to His loving guidance.
Read Matthew 26:36-46 in your Bible.
“Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’” —Matthew 26:39
Answer these questions:
• List the emotions Jesus experienced in this passage.
• What traits did Jesus model for believers in this passage?
• In your own words, describe what Jesus asked of God.
• Jesus humbly submitted to God’s will (v. 39, 42). What was God’s will in
this situation?
• How might Jesus’ response to God in this situation encourage believers who are struggling?
RESPOND
• Is there a situation have you repeatedly asked God to take away from you? What happened as a result? Journal about that experience.
• In what way is God currently asking you to submit to His will? Are you excited? Scared? Angry? Unsure? Be honest with God, admit how you feel, and then ask Him to help you submit to His perfect will.
• In Gethsemane, Jesus asked His disciples to pray with Him—He instructed them to do so for their own strength. Who can you ask to pray with you in tough situations? List a few names in your journal.
• For a different side of this story, read John 17.
BEHIND THE STORY
The “cup” Jesus mentioned referred to Jesus’ own suffering and death. Jesus would take humanity’s sin as well as God’s wrath upon Himself. This instance was the only time in all eternity Jesus would be separated from God. Just as He did many other times in the Gospels, Jesus demonstrated an accurate understanding of what lay ahead. He even warned His disciples to be in prayer, though they failed to comprehend the urgency of the occasion.
MEMORY VERSE
This week, memorize Matthew 26:39. Break the verse up into smaller phrases. Memorize them in order, building on each phrase until you have the whole verse memorized.
THE POINT
Jesus prayed for another way, yet humbly submitted to the will of His Father. Even when God asks us to do tough things, we can be obedient.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from EC magazine. @ 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, Weekly Devotions