Embracing Prayer: Jesus' Struggle and Our Connection

Devotional

Day 1: Praying Without Ceasing—Living in God’s Presence

To pray without ceasing is not about reciting endless words or maintaining a particular posture, but about cultivating a continual awareness of God’s presence in every moment of life. Whether you are working, resting, or simply feeling emotions, you can offer each thought, feeling, and action as a prayer to God. This way of living transforms the mundane into sacred moments, allowing you to walk hand-in-hand with God throughout your day. Every loving thought, every act of kindness, and every moment of gratitude becomes a prayer, drawing you closer to God’s heart. [07:07]

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
"Pray without ceasing."

Reflection: What is one ordinary activity you will do today—like washing dishes or driving—where you can intentionally practice God’s presence and turn it into a prayer?

Day 2: Jesus Understands Our Weakness—He Gets Us

Jesus’ experience in Gethsemane shows that He truly understands the depths of human distress and weakness. When His closest friends failed to stay awake and support Him in His hour of need, He experienced abandonment and disappointment just as we sometimes do. Yet, Jesus’ response was not condemnation but empathy, reminding us that He gets what it feels like to be let down. When you feel alone or unsupported, remember that Jesus has walked that path and stands with you in your pain. [10:07]

Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

Reflection: When have you felt let down or alone in a difficult moment? How does knowing Jesus understands and stands with you change how you face those feelings today?

Day 3: Surrendering Our Will—“Not My Will, But Yours Be Done”

In the garden, Jesus wrestled with the suffering that lay ahead, honestly expressing His desire for another way, yet ultimately surrendering to God’s will. This struggle between our desires and God’s purposes is something we all face, especially when the path ahead is hard or painful. Jesus models for us the courage to bring our honest fears and hopes to God, while also trusting God’s wisdom and love enough to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” [10:58]

Matthew 26:39 (ESV)
"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.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are struggling to surrender your will to God? What would it look like to pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” in that area today?

Day 4: God’s Promise—Never Abandoned, Never Forsaken

No matter what suffering or challenges you face, God’s promise is steadfast: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even when prayers seem unanswered or the way ahead is dark, God’s presence remains with you, offering comfort and strength. This assurance is not just a distant hope but a present reality—God is closer than your breath, walking with you through every trial and every joy. [12:24]

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

Reflection: Recall a recent time of difficulty or fear. How can you remind yourself today that God is with you and will never abandon you, no matter what you face?

Day 5: Showing Up for Others as Jesus Shows Up for Us

The disciples’ failure to stay awake and pray with Jesus in His distress reminds us of the importance of showing up for those in need. Just as Jesus continues to show up for us, we are called to be present for others—offering our support, prayers, and presence, especially when they are struggling. Being there for someone in their time of need is a powerful way to embody Christ’s love and compassion in the world. [14:42]

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Reflection: Who in your life is going through a difficult time right now? How can you intentionally show up for them this week, offering your presence and support?

Sermon Summary

The story of Jesus praying in Gethsemane, depicted in our newly refurbished stained glass window, invites us to enter into the depth of Christ’s humanity and the reality of our own spiritual struggles. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus withdrew to the garden with his disciples, asking them simply to stay awake and pray with him. Despite his clear distress, the disciples failed to be present for him, falling asleep in his hour of need. This moment is a powerful reminder of how easy it is to miss opportunities to show up for those we love, and how even the closest followers of Jesus struggled with the discipline of prayer.

Reflecting on my own journey with prayer, I remember the pressure to “check the boxes” of spiritual life—attending worship, reading the Bible, praying daily—without truly understanding what it meant to live in communion with God. The command to “pray without ceasing” once seemed impossible, but through the wisdom of saints like Brother Lawrence, I learned that prayer is not confined to words or specific postures. Instead, it is a way of living in God’s presence, where every loving thought, every emotion, and every act of kindness becomes a prayer. Whether we are in the kitchen, at work, or in moments of joy or sorrow, we can practice the presence of God.

In Gethsemane, Jesus models for us the honest wrestling that comes with facing suffering. He prays, “Take this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” This is not a one-time surrender, but a repeated struggle between his human desire to avoid pain and his divine commitment to God’s will. We, too, encounter seasons where the path ahead is marked by suffering we wish we could avoid. In these moments, we are invited to bring our honest desires before God, while also learning to trust in God’s presence and faithfulness.

What is unique and comforting about the Christian faith is that we worship a God who truly “gets us.” Jesus has experienced the full range of human suffering and temptation, and so he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He promises never to leave us or forsake us, even in our darkest hours. Every time we see the window of Jesus in Gethsemane, may we remember: Jesus gets me. And as he continues to show up for us, may we learn to show up for him and for one another.

Key Takeaways

1. The posture of prayer is less important than the posture of the heart. Whether kneeling, standing, or even hanging upside down, what matters is the authenticity and openness with which we approach God. True prayer is not about outward form, but about inward connection and honesty before God. [03:20]
2. Prayer is not limited to words or set times; it is a way of living in God’s presence. Inspired by Brother Lawrence, we can learn to “practice the presence of God” in the ordinary moments of life—washing dishes, working, or simply feeling compassion for others. Every loving thought and every act of kindness can become a prayer when we are aware of God’s nearness. [07:07]
3. Jesus’ struggle in Gethsemane reveals the reality of wrestling with God’s will in the face of suffering. He did not hide his desire to avoid pain, but brought his honest emotions to God repeatedly. This teaches us that it is not unfaithful to ask God to remove our suffering, but that faith is found in ultimately surrendering to God’s will, even when it is hard. [10:58]
4. When we feel abandoned or let down by others, we can find comfort in knowing that Jesus understands. He experienced the pain of his closest friends failing to support him in his darkest hour. In our own moments of loneliness or disappointment, we can draw near to Christ, who truly “gets it” and stands with us in our suffering. [10:07]
5. The uniqueness of the Christian faith is that God has entered into our suffering and can sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus is not a distant or detached deity, but one who has been tested in every way as we are. Because of this, we can trust that he will never leave us nor forsake us, and we are invited to show up for him and for others as he has shown up for us. [14:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Introducing the Gethsemane Window
[01:35] - The Posture of Jesus’ Prayer
[03:20] - The True Posture of Prayer
[04:41] - Struggles with Prayer and “Checking the Boxes”
[05:36] - Learning to Pray Without Ceasing
[07:07] - Practicing the Presence of God
[08:14] - Emotions and Imagination in Prayer
[09:02] - The Disciples’ Failure to Show Up
[10:07] - Jesus Understands Our Abandonment
[10:58] - Wrestling with God’s Will in Suffering
[12:24] - God’s Presence in Our Pain
[13:33] - Jesus Gets Us: The Uniqueness of Christian Faith
[14:42] - Remembering: Jesus Gets Me
[15:10] - Closing and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In the Gethsemane story, what did Jesus ask his disciples to do, and how did they respond? ([09:02])
According to the sermon, what are some different physical postures of prayer mentioned in the Gospels and by the preacher? ([01:35])
What does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 command us to do, and why did the preacher find this difficult to understand at first? ([05:36])
How does Hebrews 4:15 describe Jesus’ ability to relate to our struggles?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the disciples struggled to stay awake and pray with Jesus, even though he was clearly distressed? ([09:02])
The preacher shared about “checking the boxes” in spiritual life. What does this reveal about how people sometimes approach prayer and faith? ([04:41])
What does it mean to “pray without ceasing” according to the sermon and the example of Brother Lawrence? ([07:07])
How does Jesus’ honest prayer in Gethsemane (“Take this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done”) help us understand how to bring our own struggles to God? ([10:58])

Application Questions

The disciples missed an opportunity to show up for Jesus in his hour of need. Can you think of a time when you missed a chance to be present for someone? What kept you from showing up? ([09:02])
The sermon talked about the pressure to “check the boxes” of spiritual life. Are there any spiritual practices in your life that feel more like a duty than a relationship? How might you approach them differently? ([04:41])
The preacher described learning to see prayer as “practicing the presence of God” in everyday moments, not just with words. What is one ordinary activity this week where you could intentionally invite God’s presence? ([07:07])
Jesus brought his honest emotions and desires to God, even when he wanted to avoid suffering. Is there something difficult in your life right now that you need to be honest with God about? What would it look like to pray, “not my will, but yours be done”? ([10:58])
The sermon said, “Jesus gets it” when we feel abandoned or let down by others. When have you felt alone or unsupported, and how does it help to know that Jesus understands? ([10:07])
Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. How does this truth affect the way you approach God in prayer, especially when you feel weak or ashamed?
The preacher encouraged us to “show up for Jesus and for one another.” What is one specific way you can show up for someone in your life this week, as Jesus has shown up for you? ([14:42])

Sermon Clips

So one of the things I want you to remember about this story is the night that this happened, you know this story, this was the night of the Last Supper. So leaving the Last Supper with His disciples, it was on a Thursday night, we now call it, Maundy Thursday. Jesus went with his disciples to the garden to pray, and so it's at night. He will be arrested the next day, arrested that night and crucified the next day, and so this is when that's happening. [00:00:34]

What they all agree on is that Jesus fell to the ground in some form or fashion. Now, I don't think it's that important to think about the position that Jesus was in as he prayed, though sometimes people like to argue these things. [00:01:59]

It's not the position of prayer that I think is most important. [00:03:20]

Those disciples and their struggle to stay awake and pray. The story of these disciples gives me some comfort because, especially as a younger Christian, I had a really hard time with prayer. [00:03:33]

And because I wanted to be a good Christian.and I really wanted to check all the boxes, but I wasn't that good at prayer, and I certainly wasn't very devoted to reading the Bible daily, and I was tempted to check the boxes even though I hadn't necessarily done all the work to be a good Christian. [00:04:47]

I'm not sure when my experience with prayer changed. It was a process, but I know that this verse had a huge part to play in that, and the verse is 1 Thessalonians 5, 17, which says simply, pray without ceasing. [00:05:13]

And somewhere in that book, Oswald Chambers wrote about a friendship with God, how if you're walking sort of hand -in -hand with God throughout life, you become a living embodiment of God's will. You no longer even have to ask God what God's will is because you're walking in such tandem with God that you're just in fellowship with God continually. [00:05:59]

And he talked about how he discovered that the life of prayer is just as much what he was doing in the kitchen as it was in his prayer closet.It was as much his attitude while he was -chopping broccoli as it was when he was in worship with his brothers, that he could practice the presence of God while peeling a potato or putting a pot of water on the stove to boil or washing dishes, that in that regular mundane stuff, he could practice the presence of God. [00:06:56]

Oh my goodness, that's what it means to pray without ceasing.It means that we understand we live our very lives in the presence of God, and so when we're doing that, every loving thought becomes a prayer. [00:07:34]

And so these days, my personal prayers rarely involve words.I think about my emotions as a prayer.Those things that I feel when someone I know is hurting and the emotions that rise up in me because of that or the pride that I feel about my kid who's graduating from high school this week.Those emotions, it's a prayer lifting up in me as I experience these very human emotions. [00:07:52]

I want to say again that when we are walkingwith God throughout our lives, every loving thought is a form of prayer. [00:08:40]

Well, Jesus was in distress, and they knew it. And he told them. He said, I'm in distress. Yes. Great, turbulent, emotional distress.Now let me ask you, if you had a friend and you knew your friend was in incredible emotional distress, and they had a request of you that you could meet, wouldn't you move heaven and earth to meet that request for your friend, your dear friend who's in distress? Most of us...would move heaven and earth to be who we needed to be for our friend that was in need. And Jesus asked them this very simple thing, stay awake and pray with me. Be with me, brothers, is what he's asking of them, and they couldn't do it. And because they couldn't do it, they didn't show up for Jesus.That's what they got wrong that night. They didn't show up for him. [00:09:02]

Have you ever been let down by somebody?Have you ever been abandoned in your time of great need? If so, Jesus gets it. Jesus gets it. [00:10:02]

And you remember that prayer, right? Lord, take this cup from me, but nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.And the scripture says, and I believe, that it wasn't just a one and done thing that his divine nature was wrestling with his human nature.And it was this big wrestling match all night long, as what Luke describes, he sweat drops of blood. And this back and forth between you. Thank you.his divine nature and his human nature, take this cup from me, oh God, I don't want to suffer in this way.And then giving in to the divine nature, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done, but take it from me. I don't want to go through this, but not my will but thine be done. And over and over, this wrestling match that was happening within him. [00:10:34]

We see how distressed he was as he wanted so desperately to get out of the suffering that he knew was ahead of him.And we can learn something from Jesus in this moment, because there are times in our life where we see the path ahead and...And we know that it's suffering, and we don't want it. Who wants it? Nobody wants it. And yet we see that it's ahead. It's a grief we can't bear. It's a challenge we can't face. And so we say, God, take it from us. And our challenge is to be like Jesus and eventually find our way to saying, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. [00:11:37]

Now, what's important to remember when we go through times like this is God's promise, especially as told in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5, in which we hear God saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you. [00:12:24]

Pope Francis...Francis wrote something beautiful about what happens in these moments. He writes, God's answer to our pain is a closeness, a presence that accompanies us, that never leaves us alone.And I believe that he was right. [00:12:44]

Have you ever felt like you wanted God to take some cup of suffering from you? If so, Jesus gets it. Jesus gets it. [00:13:11]

When we think about this window...I think more than any of the other windows in our sanctuary, this is the one that reminds us that Jesus gets it, that Jesus gets us.And this is what's unique about the Christian faith. We do not have a God who has not experienced our human suffering. No, we have a God who gets it. [00:13:30]

And the author of Hebrews was trying to relay this to his or her audience.In chapter 2, verse 18 of Hebrews, because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. And then in chapter 13, verse 5, which I already read, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And then finally,chapter 4 and verse 15.For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet was without sin.Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a God who gets us? [00:13:55]

Every time you step into this sanctuary and you notice that window, I want that to be your thought. Jesus gets me. Will you say that with me? Ready? Jesus gets me. And I love that. I love that story that this window tells.the story of Christ praying in such agony, his divine nature, at such odds with his human nature. [00:14:48]

And so thanks be to God for our suffering servant, Jesus Christ the Lord.May we show up for him in this world, even as he continues to show up for us. Amen. [00:15:14]

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