Pastor Tom continues our series "According to Luke."

With the cross looming, Jesus took to praying.  He wanted to pray.  He needed to pray.  His struggle was that real.  While Jesus would have much rather had the “cup” of the cross pass, it was not to be.  But his time of prayer in the Garden gave him the opportunity to set his sights on God.

Christ’s prayer, “not my will, but yours be done,” is a model for all praying.  It comes to us in our prayers to let them lead us to a deeper consideration of God’s will.  “Not my will, but yours be done,” is a prayer of deep faith that puts us in the warm embrace of God, and in that warm embrace we are able to make it through whatever it is we’re facing.

Of course, Jesus had his disciples with him there in the Garden.  He asked them to pray as well.  Instead of praying, though, they feel asleep.  Jesus asked his disciples to pray not so much for his benefit, but theirs.  He knew that they, too, would need the strength that only prayer offered.