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Prayer under Pressure
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
Matthew 26:36–38
In Bible times, the olive was one of the most important crops in Israel. The fruit of the gnarled and twisted olive trees provided food, medicine, light, and much more. Just outside the city of Jerusalem was a place where Jesus often went to pray. If you visit the holy city today, you can see ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word Gethsemane means “oil press.” Olive oil was squeezed by placing heavy weights on a stone which would crush the olives to release what was inside. It was in this place where Jesus went the night before He was to take on the weight of the sins of the world at His crucifixion. Jesus went there to pray.
There is a powerful example for us in this story. When we are under pressure, when the weight of the world seems to be bearing down on us, what is our first response? Some murmur and complain, declaring that it is not fair for them to suffer. Others lash out in anger, speaking against those who have wronged them or blaming God for what has happened. When Jesus, knowing full well the scope of what He was facing—betrayal by Judas, abandonment by the disciples, the physical and mental torture of the cross, and becoming sin—felt burdened, He prayed. There is no weight, temptation or burden we face that is beyond God’s ability and we must seek His face in prayer.
Matthew 26:36–38
In Bible times, the olive was one of the most important crops in Israel. The fruit of the gnarled and twisted olive trees provided food, medicine, light, and much more. Just outside the city of Jerusalem was a place where Jesus often went to pray. If you visit the holy city today, you can see ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word Gethsemane means “oil press.” Olive oil was squeezed by placing heavy weights on a stone which would crush the olives to release what was inside. It was in this place where Jesus went the night before He was to take on the weight of the sins of the world at His crucifixion. Jesus went there to pray.
There is a powerful example for us in this story. When we are under pressure, when the weight of the world seems to be bearing down on us, what is our first response? Some murmur and complain, declaring that it is not fair for them to suffer. Others lash out in anger, speaking against those who have wronged them or blaming God for what has happened. When Jesus, knowing full well the scope of what He was facing—betrayal by Judas, abandonment by the disciples, the physical and mental torture of the cross, and becoming sin—felt burdened, He prayed. There is no weight, temptation or burden we face that is beyond God’s ability and we must seek His face in prayer.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If prayer is not our first response in times of trouble, we are likely to fail the test put before us.
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