Day 16 | Prayerful – Application

Read Matthew 26

In Matthew 26, Jesus (the Son of God) provides us with a profound display of the importance of prayer. As we explore this pivotal moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, we can discern invaluable lessons about the significance of prayer in our lives. This passage delves deeper into why the Church is intended to be a house of prayer, as well as the vital role prayer plays in shaping our faith and relationship with God. Let’s focus on three takeaways:

• Embrace vulnerability in prayer: As Jesus faced His crucifixion, He sought refuge in prayer. In the Garden, He withdrew from His disciples and knelt down before His Father. This act of prayer demonstrates Jesus’ reliance on the Father as well as an essential truth: prayer invites us to embrace vulnerability with God. Through prayer, we can lay down our fears, struggles, and uncertainties, allowing God to work in us and bear the weight of our burdens.
• Surrender to God’s will: While praying in the Garden, Jesus uttered the famous words, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Here, Jesus exhibits complete submission to the Father’s will. Through His example, we learn the importance of surrendering our desires, fears, and plans to God in prayer. As a Church, when we foster a culture of prayer, we create space for individuals to align their hearts and minds with the will of God.
• Seek strength and support: Another crucial aspect emphasized by Jesus’ prayer in the garden is the need for strength and support in times of great sorrow and anguish. By seeing the Church as a house of prayer, we facilitate an environment of support which allows others to find refuge in God’s presence and experience His comforting hand. Prayer is a vital lifeline, both in our personal lives and as a community.

Let us be encouraged to step into a lifestyle of prayer as Jesus demonstrated for us.

Pray, following the example of Jesus in today’s reading.