In Gethsemane Jesus expresses the full weight of the vocation to which he was called; in the prayer itself we see Jesus’ intense agony and both his fundamental dependence on God and commitment to doing his Father’s will, even if it means the giving of his life. Heaven responds not by granting Jesus his request for another way, but by giving him the strength to face what God has called him to do. The disciples fail however to understand either what he was doing or saying.
• What do you think Jesus’ prayer to his Father reveals about him?
• Can you take both your pain and your need to God in prayer?
• What current temptations might you need to pray about?
• In what ways does it reassure you that as you turn to God in prayer he will strengthen you for what he has called you to do?
