Matthew 26:36-44
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Jesus advised us not to let our hearts be troubled - Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1. How then was the heart of Jesus troubled at Gethsemane?
This goes to show that He was human. As humans, our hearts get troubled when we face adversity or danger, or when we are in trouble and face death. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He came to Earth in human form, and faced all that we face as humans. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
At the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was facing anguish because of the death sentence He knew was over His Life. He knew He was about to suffer considerably, and this filled Him with sorrow. However, Jesus knew how to draw strength from His Father through prayer. He therefore prayed. He knew the importance of prayer, and prayed even though His disciples slept.
Jesus had a relationship with His father. He knew and trusted God the Father. Knowing and trusting God is one way to keep our hearts from being troubled. Therefore to keep His Heart from being troubled, Jesus prayed to His Father. He negotiated with Him to take the cup of suffering away from Him, if possible. And yet He showed much faith in the Father's ways by declaring - not as I will, but as you will.”
As Jesus continued to pray, He was strengthened to accept the Father's will - “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Luke throws more light on how God strengthened Jesus - Luke 22:41-44 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
We ought to pray so our hearts will not be troubled. No matter what we are going through as Christians, when we pray, God will strengthen us to do His Will. And also, as Jesus warned His disciples, our human body is weak, and can be prone to all sorts of temptation if we do not pray. Luke 22:45-46 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Peter did not pray and therefore fell into various temptations. He fell to rage and cut off another person's ear, and later denied Jesus thrice. We can fall to the devil's schemes against us if we refuse to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
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