Then Jesus walked a little farther away from them. Jesus fell to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't give me this cup {of suffering}. But do what you want, not what I want." Then Jesus went back to his followers. Jesus found his followers sleeping. Jesus said to Peter, "You men could not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right. But your body is weak." Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this {painful} thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done." Then Jesus went back to the followers. Again Jesus found them sleeping. Their eyes were very tired. So Jesus left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing.
— Matthew 26:39-44 NLT
Key Thought
To call God Father can be made to sound pretty "chummy." In reality, to call God Father means to surrender our will to the work of the Sovereign God of the universe and all eternity. Jesus taught us to not only call God Abba Father, he also showed us what it means to be God's child. His frank, open, and heartfelt conversations and prayers with God remind us of God's desire for honest intimacy with us. This works, however, only when we are aware that he is God and we are not. We are here to obey and do his will. He has promised, and demonstrated in Jesus, that if we will trust our life's work to him, he will not forget us or leave us to decay. But he does call on us to follow him, no matter the consequences in the short run. When we do, victory awaits! Jesus has shown us that the agony of submission gives way to the joy of vindication and victory!
Today's Prayer
O Master and King of the Universe, thank you for allowing me to call you Abba Father. You are worthy of so much more praise than I could ever offer. Please accept my life, and the obedience to your will that I offer, as my sacrifice of thanks and praise to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
- Hebrews 5:7-10
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
- John 8:27-29
About This Devotional
What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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