PRAYER AND GOD'S DIVINE WILL.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*PRAYER AND GOD'S DIVINE WILL.*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Matt 26:36-38, 40-45

v36 *Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.*

v37  *And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.*

v38  *Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.*

v40  *And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?*

v41  *Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.*

v42  *He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.*

v43  *And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.*

v44  *And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.*

v45  *Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

When prayer involves a human will against a divine will, divine will always prevail.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Jesus came back from praying three times, to find His disciples asleep instead of praying.

At the third time, He woke them up telling them they could sleep on, the hour had come and those who betrayed Him had come to get Him.

What happened at Gethsemane opens our eyes to what happens when we do not pray when we ought to pray and how Jesus feels.

Though the bible did not tell us how much impact the prayers of James, Peter and John would have had on the incidents at Gethsemane but it was certainly not to stop the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus because Jesus Himself had told His people and it had been written that He would come to die. This will and plan of God were unchangeable, Matt 26: 39.

So, if Jesus knew He would die, why did He pray to God two times asking:

*"......O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.*

"*....O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."* Matt 26: 39,42.

His prayer were two-fold. One from Him as fully human and the other as fully God.

As fully human, pain, adversity, sorrow were all over Him. As a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), He was overwhelmed just as a mortal man would pray to avert impending danger.

He said as God in the flesh and human form, *"....My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here,....."* Matt 26:38.

In the latter part of Matt 26:38, He said

*".....watch with me."*

In Matt 26:40, He said *"What, could ye not watch with me one hour?*

In the latter part of Matt 26:38 and 26:40, He was telling them, just like any mortal man would wish other Christians would do for him, "Pray for me".

Jesus here teaches the essence of prayer and praying for others in distress. He however points out to us that people may not be as serious minded to pray as if they were in the same pain as others.

There may be other reasons, but here, He primarily points to the desire to pray that is not supported by human weakness rather than a decision not to want to intercede at all.

Whichever way, human weakness or not, "not praying" is "not praying at all" and it is an act of prayerlessness.

It teaches us how Jesus feels when we do not pray when there is a need to pray or when Heaven calls for our prayers, 2 Chon 7:14, but we refuse.

He may not have scolded them but He seriously charged them of their inability to pray when their prayers were most needed.

God may frown at us when we fail to do what is spiritually compulsory to do.

The end-result was clear, Peter in his aggression, *".....struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.*, Matt 26:51.

Peter was expected to push in more aggressively in prayer but he did not. He instead pushed in more aggression carnally.

What he failed to overcome in prayer overcame him carnally.

Jesus implied by His correction to Peter that *"....our weapons are not carnal...."* 2 Cor 10:4, *".......for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."* Matt 26: 52.

As fully divine, he submitted to the Father's will for humanity's salvation, showing his complete obedience.

Jesus' prayer was a struggle between his human desire and divine purpose. 

He teaches us that oftentimes when our human desire is in conflict with divine purpose, divine purpose will always prevail.

*Remorse corner.*

God remains independent of any human interference or intervention. Our prayers may not change His divine will for us.

*Call to Word action.*

1 John 5:14 *And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

The Christian must pray, not to enforce his will on God, but to submit to His will.

We can not impress our will on Him no matter how long or how well we pray.

*Prayer.*

Lord, help me to pray to submit to Your will in Jesus name.

Good morning all and be blessed as You come into His presence today.

God bless you.

Shalom.