Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Have you ever anticipated an event in your life with anxiety, pain, and worry? We have all had those moments in life when we knew something was coming and we didn’t want to be a part of it. How did you handle the time leading up to this event? How did you handle the angst and worry? Jesus modeled everything for us. There is no temptation, emotion, or situation that Jesus did not experience in some way, and show us how to handle it. Jesus even experienced a painful season of anticipation in the days leading up to His crucifixion. He knew what was coming, and He modeled our greatest tool in approaching adverse seasons.

If prayer was important to Jesus, it must be important to us. During His ministry, He often went alone by Himself to pray. How can our relationship with God grow if we do not talk to Him frequently? Take a moment and think of some of your most important relationships. Think if you stopped talking to them for 1, 2, or 3 months. You then suddenly started talking to them again. Would that be a great relationship? Absolutely not. The Creator of the Universe cares about us and wants a relationship with us, which means we must constantly connect with Him. Prayer doesn’t just help us in our time of need. It also helps us create a strong relationship and prepares us for the difficult situations that lie ahead. When we are close to God, we make better decisions because He is at the forefront of those decisions. We handle everything His way, not our way.

Jesus also shows us that even He was not exempt from extreme difficulty and turmoil. In Luke 22:42, Jesus prays “Father, if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” Although Jesus knew the painful sacrifice that was on the horizon, He did not avoid it or complain. He spent time with His Father and asked God that His will be done no matter what. There are times we go through pain, and it’s in those times that we should lean on God and take it on. Being a Christian does not mean a life of ease and worldly wealth. It’s better than that! Following Jesus means that we get to live a life that glorifies God and have an eternity with Him!

Even when we follow Jesus, we still fall short and stumble. Jesus knew this to be true of His followers and asked the disciples to continually pray that they would not fall into temptation. Jesus knew what events were about to take place, and He needed some prayer warriors. So, what did the disciples do? They fell asleep! Luke 22:46 says Jesus told them “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.” It’s comforting to me that even the disciples who literally walked with Jesus every day failed many times to follow His simple instructions. They couldn’t even stay awake and pray as He asked them. Sometimes in our life, we fail. But no matter the pain, no matter the situation, no matter what we are going through, no matter our failures, His plan is perfect. Turn over your burdens to Him, and it will change your experiences in this life. It’s not easy to continually pursue Christ above all else, but it will bring peace beyond understanding.

How can you make spending time with your Heavenly Father a priority this week? Spend intentional time with God through prayer today, over everything you are facing right now.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
  
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
  
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
  
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
  
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.
  

The Way of Jesus: 7 Marks of Discipleship

As we begin a new series, we encourage you to lean into the 7 Marks of Discipleship each week. The 7 Marks of Discipleship provide a simple tool to help us identify areas where we are thriving in our calling and where we can grow. Check here each week for a new 7 Marks Challenge that will encourage you to follow Jesus closer every day.