The power of prayer
As Jesus made His way to the cross, He paused to pray. In that quiet moment before the chaos, we see just how vital prayer was-even to the Son of God. Knowing He was about to endure betrayal, mockery, excruciating pain, and death, Jesus sought communion with His Father. It’s a reminder to us: when we’re facing trials, do we stop and seek God in prayer the way Jesus did? His example shows the importance of honest, open communication between the Father and His children. Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane also reveals the depth of His love for us. Grieved in spirit and overwhelmed with sorrow, He pleaded for another way.
“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
– Matthew 26:38-39 (NKJV) Even in His anguish, Jesus surrendered to God’s will. The cup did not pass-and He drank it for us. That cup held the weight of sin: hatred, murder, envy, lies, and all the brokenness of humanity. Jesus took it all upon Himself. He became what He had never been-sin-so that we, as sinners, might be forgiven. His prayer in the garden is not only a call to seek God in our darkest moments-it is a testament to a love so profound it willingly bore the sins of the world.
