Quick, can you name the “three pillars of Lent?” Whether you can or not probably depends on your denomination and/or upbringing. If you can’t don’t worry. I am here to help. They are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Since the season of Lent is approaching I thought it would be good to go over one of them now.
Let’s talk about prayer.
And let’s start by quoting some scripture about it:
Matthew 26:36-42
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Have you ever read this passage and had any questions about it? I sure have. The first thing that strikes me is that Jesus wanted his prayer to be private. So why did he invite three of his disciples to come with him? Isn’t that weird?
I think it has to do with teaching (no surprise there). The prayer itself was supposed to be private, but what was not private was the fact that he was praying. And that makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? You don’t have to share your prayer with anyone else if you don’t want to. But we tell others we are praying all the time. Maybe this is a lesson to Peter, James, and John, tho know that prayer was this important. When strife comes to them, maybe they will also know to turn to God.
Another thing I find curious about Jesus’ prayer is the phrase “if it is possible.” Did Jesus not know that something was or was not possible? That seems unlikely. He had already told his disciples that he would be “given up.” So he already knew what was going to happen. I think this is an example of Jesus being incredibly relatable to us. He doesn’t want this to happen. But he knows it has to be this way.
Which brings me to my third deep question. If God is going to do whatever God is going to do, then what is the point of praying for something?
Prayer is a way of being honest with your Creator.
Let that sink in for a minute.
You don’t usually get to tell your boss exactly what is on your mind, unfiltered. You as a child don’t usually get to tell your parents something like that either. We filter what we say to just about everyone we talk to. But with prayer you don’t have to do that. You can just say what you really want to say. Believe me, God can take it.
What if you thought of your whole life as a prayer? What if you continually shared your thoughts and feelings with God? What would that be like? If you did you would be reminded of your relationship with God all the time. It’s not a real stretch to say that bad things happen when we forget God is with us. Jesus modeled that pretty well. He prayed all the time. He talked of his relationship with God continually. And he wasn’t afraid to let God know how he was feeling. That is the real power of prayer. It is the communication part of a relationship with God.
I don’t know anyone who has ever said they wished they had prayed less. Spend more time with God this season. Make your relationship with God the best it can be.
God Bless