Lent: Week One - Prayer

Devotional: DAY1

Jesus was the perfect God-man. But even for Him, life was a struggle. Before He stepped out victorious from the tomb, He had to first endure weakness, temptation, betrayal, and physical death. In the Gospel writings, we find an amazing window into the reality of that struggle through the account of Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

By the time of this prayer, Jesus had already spent His life enduring human frailty for us. All that remained was for Him to accomplish the greatest act of love in human history— His death and judgment on the cross. Not only would He have to be beaten, insulted, and tortured, but also He would have to face the judgment of God for all the wickedness of humanity for all time. On the cross, He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Facing all of that, His prayer time in Gethsemane was a mighty struggle. The trial ahead was so difficult, Jesus—God in the flesh— pleaded for the Father to somehow let Him out of it. And in that moment, He wanted fellowship from His friends. The Word says He called His disciples near to say, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

Jesus just wanted His followers to unite with Him in prayer, to join with Him in what He was facing for their sakes. That moment opened the door to God’s heart. Prayer is a chance for us to connect with God regarding what He cares about. Just talk to God simply from your heart, and don’t forget to listen as well. Although the disciples missed their chance to share that experience with Jesus, we don’t have to miss our chance to connect with Him today. We can “watch” with Jesus daily, fulfilling His desire for unity with us. In the process, we will be filled with Him.