The Hope of Easter: Finding Clarity in Confusing TimesSample

Day 2: Jesus's Prayer in Gethsemane: Hope in Surrender

Matthew 26: 36-39 NLT says, Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."

If you are going through or have ever gone through grief, then you know the pain that Jesus is describing. Even with a crushed spirit, he turns to God through prayer and submission.

Although that very act of submission would cause him more pain, he is willing to endure if that means God’s will be done. This type of faith is only possible by continually surrendering to God. Think of surrendering as a muscle that needs to be strengthened. We cannot run a marathon properly with no training; we must prepare our bodies to be ready to endure what is to come.

We surrender to God daily by practicing forgiveness, prayer, and our little choices that are often overlooked. Are your choices honoring God? If so, when it is time to endure, you will have the faith to pray courageously! Sometimes, we can not understand what God is doing or why, but can we be bold enough to trust God during the unknown? What a powerful statement of faith, to trust in God enough to surrender during pain. There is hope in surrendering to God’s plan because when God’s will is done, his glory is magnified through us!