Lent day 42

While reading Matthew 26 of Jesus praying in the garden, I saw how we should be praying when we pray for things.

I’m sure that most people know this, and I know that I’ve heard it before, but it really amazes me who Jesus prays.

He is grieved and overcome with pain about His coming death. He knows that this is what God has called Him to do. But He seems to not really know if He has the strength to go through with it.

I’m not trying to say that Jesus wasn’t strong enough to take what God had for Him. Just that it seems that He really wasn’t sure. I know that when I am upset about things and have come to God in prayer about them, it’s generally in a state of not knowing if I can handle whatever is coming towards me.

But still in His grief, He is very clear-headed while asking if there is any other way that this might happen. He knows what God is asking of Him. Yet He seeks out God to ask if there might possibly be another way. Maybe He doesn’t have to die. I’m sure there where a hundred different questions going through His mind while He prayed these prayers.

Yet He kindly asks if God can find another way. Then He shows us how we should pray.

“Not my will, but thine be done.”

Those are the words that we should pray when we come before God asking for anything.

He knows what is good for us and what we need. It’s not that bad or hard things won’t happen to us.

It’s more that in the midst of those things, we can call out to God and He will be there with us.

It’s still not easy to accept things sometimes. I totally understand that.

I have a hard time accepting the things that go on around me sometimes.

I have a hard time dealing with the effects of my depression and the effects it has on my family.

I have in the past prayed that God would take it from me. But that has yet to happen.

It’s hard to stay focused sometimes when we feel that our prayers aren’t heard.

But I do know that God is there, and He hears all of our prayers.