Elder Ginny Pinho

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. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch [stay alert] with me. And 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. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:36-41

Jesus was facing the cross that would place all the sins of the world upon Him in death. This was an affliction! [Affliction means “something that causes pain or suffering.”] Knowing what was coming, Jesus was sorrowful and troubled. So what did He do? He headed straight for His place of prayer. Interestingly, He took His friends Peter, James and John along to share His prayer burden with them. But that was not enough.

The real work of finding the comfort and strength that He needed to endure had to be done by Himself. He had to go “a little farther” and press into the Father’s grace. With honesty and surrender, Jesus told the Father both His weakness and His willingness to do the Father’s will. And we know that He rose from that place to fulfill the will of God both in the suffering of the cross and the victory of the resurrection!

What do you do when you see sorrow and trouble coming your way? Do you hide or retreat in fear? Do you run to your friends to grumble? Do you sit in defeat? Do you stand and rebuke the trouble and hope it goes away? James (the Lord’s brother) writes, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (James 5:13). In verse 16, James further exhorts us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” When Jesus found His friends sleeping, He declared that prayer is what gives us power to overcome temptation. Shouldn’t we gladly run to the Father in our times of trouble and pray?

Prayer: Father, thank you that when I’m weak in the face of trouble, I am not left to face it alone! Strengthen my faith to know that I will find You, Your comfort and Your grace, in the place of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.