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Lenten Devotionals

Jesus Prays

Luke 22: 39-46
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temp-tation.’ 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’

Like a good disciple, I followed Jesus to the garden to pray. It was late. We were all tired and Jesus had been more confusing than ever this night. I couldn’t make sense of it all. But I knew Jesus was the Messiah promised to us. I knew that I needed to follow, even if I didn’t understand. He tells us to “pray that we will not fall into temptation.” That’s nothing new. I wonder, what’s so important about that right now, on this night? I watched Jesus as he withdraws to pray by himself. He is distraught, in anguish. Something isn’t right. It is so dark and so quiet. I am so worn out from this emotional stress knowing something is wrong, but not sure what. I fall asleep. Jesus re-turns, wakes us up again and warns us to “get up and pray so that we will not fall into temptation.”
Jesus’ last instructions to me are to “pray so that I will not fall into temptation”. I need to examine my prayer life. Am I daily praying? Am I close enough to Jesus that I will not fall into temptation?