Jesus and The Garden of Gethsemane - A Prayer Blueprint

Think for a moment about what it must have been like on the night that Jesus was taken. The disciples were there with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and had been forewarned of the impending urgency of that evening. Judas was out putting the plot into motion. And what happened?

While Jesus sat in sacred prayer, the disciples joined in for a time. Before long, they became distracted and fell asleep as Jesus awaited the fate that he knew was his to bear. He prayed the long prayer alone save for the angels that surely surrounded him.

Jesus prayed for a long time before Judas arrived with his posse. He knew that the road to the cross would be a lonely one, and yet he spent his hours in prayer. What were the disciples thinking? Ironically, they were probably thinking much the same way we do today when we fall short of the standard the Father has set for us.

When we pray, do we honestly strip ourselves of our humanity for those precious moments with the savior? Are we laid bare at his feet so that we might recognize the words of God?

When Jesus prayed that night at the Garden of Gethsemane, he set a wonderful example of prayer for us all. His time was at hand, and he knew it, yet his thoughts and spirit were with the Almighty. He prayed longer and harder than any of the disciples, and he KNEW what was to come. This proves to me that he was praying for the most noble of reasons. He was praying for others, and for the deliverance of mankind.

When I pray, this is what I strive for. I want to recognize the words of the Lord, and I want to try to stay in the noble sweet spot that is his grace. He expects us to be one with each other, and to pray for more than our own wants and needs. Anyone can pray for himself at his time of need, but a special Christian can pray for others when his time is up.

Thank God that Jesus did indeed die on that cross for us. It gives us a fighting chance in a world where true selflessness is not common enough. He made sure to give us the blueprint that is his example... God give me the strength to to try to follow it however short I may fall.