Jesus prayed before He faced the greatest crisis in His life. The Bible says: ‘Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place… He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared…and strengthened him’ (vv. 39-43 NIV 2011 Edition).
Jesus didn’t wait until the hour of His greatest crisis before He prayed. For three and a half years during His earthly ministry, He had built a life of prayer. Before He raised Lazarus from the dead, we read, ‘Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me…that you always hear me”’ (John 11:41-42 NIV 2011 Edition).
Jesus had such an intimate relationship with His Father that in times of pressure and pain He could go to God, confident He would receive His sustaining grace. Can you do that? Until you do, you’ll be vulnerable to people and situations beyond your control. Consider this question: do you think Jesus prayed so much because He wanted to, or because He thought He should? The answer is – He wanted to! And if you want to follow in His footsteps and enjoy God’s richest blessings, you need to move from ‘should’ to ‘want to’. Here’s a truth that people who pray know: the less you pray, the less you want to pray. And the more you pray, the more you want to pray. The power behind Christ’s amazing success in life was the power of prayer. Starting now, commit to praying each day.
2 Chron 21-22, Acts 25
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