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Monday, December 10, 2007
The Usual Place
Jesus left the city (Jerusalem) and went to the Mount of
Olives. His followers went with him. (Jesus went there
often.) Jesus said to his followers, "Pray for strength
against temptation." Then Jesus went about 50 steps away from
them. He kneeled down and prayed, "Father, if it is what you
want, then let me not have this cup {of suffering}. But do
what you want, not what I want." Then an angel from heaven
appeared. The angel was sent to help Jesus. Jesus was full of
pain; he struggled hard in prayer. Sweat dripped from his
face like he was bleeding. When Jesus finished praying, he
went to his followers. They were asleep. (Their sadness had
made them very tired.) Jesus said to them, "Why are you
sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation."
-- Luke 22:39-46 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus warns his disciples again about the temptation that is about to
engulf them. He does it in "the usual place." This was his place of
prayer. Everything about this event is surrealistic, bizarre, and
horrifying except one: this was his place of prayer. He had walked with
God his entire ministry. Prayer had been his connecting link with his
Father in heaven. It was the place where he re-centered his sense of
ministry, where he gained strength, where he rejoiced, and where he
spoke honestly of his own struggles. So now, at the crucial moment in
his life, he is prepared to face this awful test. For Jesus,
surrendering to God in prayer wasn't some last minute thing used to
dodge this difficult trial. It was an extended conversation, a
continuing walk with the Father to whom he has repeatedly submitted his
will. Jesus could ask that the Father's will would be done because he
had asked it so often before in "the usual place." Do you have a time
carved out in your day where you surrender your will to the Father? Do
you have "the usual place" where you offer your heart to God? It can be
at your computer as you take time each day to draw close to the Father
and offer him your heart. It can be in the quiet of the morning ... or
the evening ... or even at noon. The important thing is that we have
"the usual place" where we meet God and say, "Father ... I want your
will, not mine." When we do, we can be sure he hears us, sends his
angels to attend to us, and works in our lives to ultimately bring us
to his glory.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, thank you for meeting me in "the usual place." I submit my will
and my life to you, trusting in your gracious promises to me and your
glorious future for me. Please give me the courage to follow where you
lead me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
>> NEW: Phil's What Jesus Did devotional is now
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>> The WJD! web page has related scriptures and the
>> full text of today's key passage. Read it at:
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/1210-wjd.html
>> For further study of today's passage, use our
>> online Bible study site: SearchGodsWord.org!
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Luke+22:39-46&sr=1&t=erv
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