“Watch And Pray,

Lest You Enter Into Temptation”

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.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

Matthew 26:39-42

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Matthew 27:45-46

Sometimes it feels like God isn’t listening to us.

What are we to think when we repeatedly ask God for something good – something that could easily identify Him – but the answer doesn’t come? Is He listening or not?

Let’s look at the life of the Savior. In the garden of Gethsemane, He agonized for hour in private, praying and pouring out His heart and pleading, “Let this cup pass from me.” But the Father’s answer was clearly “No.” To provide salvation to us, God had to send Jesus to die on the cross. Even though Jesus felt as if His Father had forsaken Him, He prayed intensely and passionately because He trusted that God was listening.

When we pray, we may not see how God is working or understand how He will bring good through it all. So we have to trust Him. We relinquish our rights and let God do what is best.

We must leave the unknowable to the all-knowing One. He is listening and working things out His way.

When we bend our knees to pray, God bends His ear to listen.

Our Daily Bread – January 4, 2016