You're in our thoughts and
prayers." This is our standard response to the pain and
sorrow we see in the lives of those around us. School shootings, teen
suicides, accidents, and dire diagnoses - "you're in our thoughts and prayers."
But do we really know HOW to pray in times of pain and
anguish?
Perhaps we've been
told that we must accept whatever comes into our lives - "it's a part of
God's plan" we're told, so no arguing. Meek acquiescence is the
expected reaction. But doesn't this make our Lord out to be a rather
dictatorial sovereign and not a Father?
Others say, "name
it and claim it!" like it's some kind of magic formula! But doesn't
this reduce the Most High God into a weak parent Who is always caving in to
their petulant child?
Like so many lessons in
life it is wise to look at the behavior and listen to the words of Jesus. On
the night He was betrayed Jesus went out to Gethsemane - a garden on the Mount
of Olives. Knowing the totality of the pain that was coming to Him, He
knelt and prayed to His Father in heaven. He prayed with urgency and
strong pleading. He prayed with trust and obedience.
St. Mark tells us
Jesus prayed: "Remove this cup from Me." (Mark 14:36
ESV) Our English translations, while good, do not
carry the weight of the original Greek. In writing his Gospel, Mark made
it clear that Jesus was emphatic that His Father remove the cup - in other
words, "NO PAIN!" This was no suggestion or gentle plea, but
the heartfelt cry of a Man Whose sweat turned to blood in His
anguish.
But just as soon as He made such a
bold statement, Jesus prayed "yet not what I will, but what
You will." Here in the Son of God and
the Son of Man we see the delicate balance of prayer. There is a boldness
born from our relationship to our God as His beloved children, and there is
trust and obedience that grow out of our faith in our Father's goodness and
love. We are encouraged to cry out to the Lord from the deepest parts of
our pain and sorrow. Our Father wants us to hold nothing back! We
are encouraged to ultimately trust in a Father Who loves us with an everlasting
love. Our Father has given us a living hope of an inheritance that does
not fade away.
Left to ourselves we could
never pray in this manner. But the One Who is teaching us how
to pray is the One Who endured that pain so He could bear our sin. It was
humanity's rebellion against our Creator that opened the door for sorrow
to enter creation. Jesus walked down a road that led to His death on the
cross that that door might be ultimately be slammed shut when He returns
again. In the meantime, we hold on to the hope that is ours because Jesus
rose from the dead, never to die again. So child of God, pray
boldly and pray trustingly, for your Heavenly Father is listening . . .
Go to
dark Gethsemane,
All who
feel the tempter’s pow’r;
Your
Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch
with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not
from His griefs away;
Learn
from Jesus Christ to pray.
John
Montgomery
Public
Domain
