Note: This prayer meditation is first and foremost designed to be listened to, so we encourage you to listen to the audio as you read along.
WEEK 15 – Suffering & Submission
For the next 10 minutes or so, we are going to turn our attention to God in prayer. He desires to meet with us today. To talk to us. To share His heart with us. Take a few deep breaths and say the following prayer:
God, You are here, now. And I am loved by You.
Now take a moment and pray this simple prayer that can be said in the span of a breath.
Not my will, but Yours be done.
As I read the following passage from Mark listen with the expectation that God is moving towards you, to speak to you, through these Spirit-inspired words today.
32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” 35 He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.41 Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”
Jesus has warned His disciples over and over again of the suffering to come and now the same disciples who witnessed the glory of His transfiguration are witnessing the frailty of His humanity. This was a master class on dependence if they were willing to watch and listen. But every time Jesus left to pray; they fell asleep. Even Peter who moments earlier insisted that he would be with Jesus until the bitter end, no matter what, succumbs to the weakness of his flesh.
No matter how willing the spirit is, the flesh is weaker. They couldn’t do it on their own. Their will power was not strong enough to sustain them.
But Jesus models the sustaining power that comes through surrender to the Father. He brings all of Himself –
His feelings
His desires
His trust
and offers these things to God, fully open and vulnerable before Him, and with no hint of shame in His wrestling with the suffering that awaited Him.
Let’s pray today and ask that God would wake us up to the truth of what it means to live a surrendered life to Him.
Lord,
Wake me up if I’ve fallen asleep.
I have the power to stay awake because You have given me Your Spirit.
I don’t have to succumb to the weakness of my flesh.
Where Adam and Eve sowed rebellion in a garden and reaped death, Jesus returned to a garden to sow surrender and reap life.
I surrender to You now. I give You the things that threaten my worship – my worries, cares, distractions, and disordered desires.
Will You replace them with an all-consuming desire for You?
Will You sustain me to live faithfully on mission for You?
Hear the Word of the LORD:
ROMANS 13:11-14
11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.
AMEN.
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