Learning To Pray From The Example Of Christ

   

     When we come upon someone praying we encounter a mystery that we cannot penetrate without them allowing us into their thoughts. So when we come upon Jesus praying we are excited that we get to hear what was on his mind. On the night that he was betrayed Jesus shared a meal with is disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper.
      He then began to teach them in a very deep and intimate matter as we read in John 13-17. As they walked to the Garden of Gethsemane he continued to teach them and perhaps he prayed to the Father as well. When they reached the garden he left most of them at the gate to pray. He took Peter, James, and John in the garden with him as he prayed. He asked them to stand watch and pray. Three times we see Jesus took these three alone for a purpose. First, when he raised Jarius’ daughter (and showed he had power over death). Second, on the Mount of Transfiguration (and showed them how he would be glorified through his death). And last, here where he surrendered to death. While Jesus prayed they slept.  
       The first Adam was placed in a garden, Eden, and was allowed to walk with and talk with God. Adam sinned against God and was cast out of the garden. Revelation 21-22 tells of another garden in which there will be no sin and we will have perfect communion with God fully restored. Between these two gardens stands the Garden of Gethsemane. In this garden the second Adam, Jesus, accepted the cup of suffering and God’s wrath to bring about the redemption and reconciliation of God’s people.
      From the prayer we have recorded by John we can get great insight into the mind of Christ and we can learn how to pray. We get to see what was on Jesus’ mind leading up to the cross and we get endeavor to comprehend the agony of what lay before him. We are exposed to the living embodiment of the intimate relationship Jesus had with his Father. In a real sense this prayer brings together everything the gospel story is all about.
      Tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 16, we will come together at 7 PM for corporate prayer guided by this prayer of Jesus. We will examine what this marvelous text means and pray in the example of Christ. There will be visual aids, guided discussion, and prayer. I promise we will be concise and you will not be put on the spot to pray out loud if you are not comfortable doing so. Please plan to join us.