As the world today is at stake, a hundred thousand are in Hospitals some are coming out of the hospitals and the majority of them are not. Millions are locked down in their homes, towns, States, and Countries, not able to do things as normal supposed to be. And people around the world have engaged themselves in different ways:
- Drs, Nurses, Police, etc are upfront busy sacrificing their lives for the world.
- Churches have continued their rituals in online fashion, conducting services, celebrating Good Friday, Easter, etc.
- Families have been spending time in different ways, eating, cooking, praying, etc.
- Individuals have been busy posting on social media with their videos, pictures, writings, information, etc.
- Thousands have been jobless, hopeless, and thinking of what to do.
- Thousands have taken a step to help others in whatever way they could.
- Thousands have been careless all around and have been continuing to do what they like.
To which of the above categories do you belong?
Jesus knew very well about the next few hours or days and how it is going to be for him, just before his crucifixion, yet he showed us a unique and perfect way of dealing with some difficult times in our lives.
Friends, we are talking about the way Christ behaved when life was at stake. We should definitely take this great communication and revelation of our Lord into consideration in our lives and be a blessing not only for ourselves but also for others.
MATTHEW 14:32-35; MARK 14:32-34; & LUKE 22:39-46
- After the last supper with the disciples, Jesus is going to the mount of Olives.
- Jesus went with all the disciples to the mountain.
- Jesus took only Peter, James, and John a little further to the place of prayer.
- Jesus told to his disciples that he was very sad and very much shaken within.
- Jesus asked them to wait as he was going to pray alone.
- Jesus knelt down to pray (Luke gives us this information).
- Jesus prays continuously with many breaks in-between.
- He prays three different times.
- His First Prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
- He comes back and sees his disciples sleeping.
- His Second Prayer: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
- He comes back again and finds them sleeping.
- His third prayer: “the same words again as the second Prayer”
- Jesus is done with his prayer and said “Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand”
We would like to highlight a few of the thoughts below having looked at the above texts:
The Posture: (Luke 22:41)
How defendable we are sometimes as we pray to the Lord? We have many verses to support our comfortable styles of prayer. We say we are in a grace period not in the Law, and not under any Jewish obligations and etc.
We have no right to condemn you on your postures of prayers. But we definitely have this Lord’s example. God the son, meeting with God the father in the most difficult time of Him with a remarkable posture of prayers. Can we take these things for granted and of no value?
The Emotion: (Mark 14:34; Luke 22:44)
It is very vital to know and have a proper mindset in the time of prayer. It could be very obvious for us to have some inappropriate emotions as we pray for ourselves or others in this time of crisis.
Jesus was Sad, as he was about to pray.
Jesus was in agony within himself mentally and spiritually.
Jesus was physically tormented by the intensity of the prayers.
We should definitely show our emotions as we pray for certain things in our lives, especially as we pray for the entire world today. We could be without any sorrows or heaviness or burden in our hearts and simply just utter a few words. Perhaps we could continue to be eating and drinking and enjoying and say we are praying. We do not promote that you torture yourselves like the monks or ascetics but rather we urge you to be intentional not only in words but also by your actions.
The Frequency:
How comfortable we are often when we pray for something or someone one time or several times. We feel like we have prayed enough sufficient. The Gospels give us information that within that few hours of time Jesus took three different times to pray for a particular need. Definitely, he was not doing it to show himself or for a formality, it was a process of his gaining strength in the midst of the struggles that are within. We need to consider seriously about this frequency, perhaps we can continue to be in the mind or spirit of prayers, just like many other men of God in the Bible.
The Prayer:
When we look into the content of the prayer itself, it is fascinating to see our Lord Jesus Christ and his prayer. The three prayers are the source of wisdom and understanding.
The First Prayers: Jesus asks the father, that the father would do something contrary to his will, Jesus was not willing to drink the cup (Death of Christ), and he wanted to avoid the cup (Death of Christ) but he asked that his desire would match with the Lord Jesus.
The Second Prayer and Third Prayer: Both of these 2nd and 3rd prayers are the same, Jesus knows that it was not the father’s will to avoid the cup (Death of Christ), therefore I will do it as it is your will and you have appointed it to be accomplished.
Our prayers ought to be with a complete understanding of the will of the father, as we approach his throne of grace. He has communicated to us all his councils and desire, therefore we need to offer our supplications in accordance with his will.
Perhaps we can say, Lord, I do not want to be infected by this COVID-19, but nevertheless it is not my will Lord but your will. Because we know what you have done for us on the Cross, and what is the inheritance that you have given us, that our mortality body must put on immortality, and the world is going to come to an end. What is the reality of life and death on this earth? That we are just for a few days on this earth, and we need to learn to number our days. He has all the right to allow the world today to go through this crisis.
MAY WE HAVE THIS CHOICE IN COVID-19 CRISIS