“(Jesus) went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except that I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)
Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) “I pray not that you should take them (His disciples) out of the world, but that you should keep them from evil.” (John 17:15) I need to be careful when I use Jesus as an example. There are those who say that Jesus came only as an example of what people can be if they really try. This is about as New Testament as “Alice in Wonderland.” Jesus did not come only as an example. He came to die on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, rise from the grave, ascend to the Father, so that those who put their faith in Him will be saved. It is true, however, that Jesus does set a good example for us in all areas of our lives. In the three texts above, Jesus set the example for us in prayer. In Matthew 26:42 Jesus gave us an example of a prayer of surrender. This is His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was not asking the Father to save His life. Jesus was not afraid to die. In fact, He told His disciples several times that He would die outside of Jerusalem. The “cup” that Jesus prayed about was the cup of the sins of all people. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus on the cross. He took the wrath that would be for all people. People avoid the wrath of God by giving their lives to Jesus by faith. Jesus was not afraid of the Father’s wrath. Jesus had never experienced sin, because He lived a sinless life, but on the cross He would experience the wrath that sin brings. At that moment in Gethsemane Jesus surrendered Himself to die on the cross for our sins. He set the example for us, for we need to surrender our lives to God’s will as well. We should not always seek what we want in life, but we should seek what God wants. We should surrender to the will of God even if it means that we might suffer. Those are hard words, but the example of Jesus shows us the importance of them. Pray your own prayer of surrender today. In Luke 23:34, Jesus gave us an example of prayers of forgiveness. Before dying on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus told us to pray that God would forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgiveness of others is not just a doctrine of the Christian faith, it should be an integral part of the Christian’s lifestyle. We should have what I call a habit of forgiveness. I know that this is not easy, but it is necessary for a fulfilling Christian life. We cannot keep unforgiveness in our hearts and be close to God. Churches have fellowship problems because we do not forgive one another, even for the minutest of slights. When we hold a grudge against someone, we need to remember Jesus’ prayer, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Pray a prayer of forgiveness today. In John 17:15, Jesus gave us an example of prayers for each other. He asked that God not take His disciples out of the world, but that He would keep them from the evil one – the devil. We need to pray for each other, that we all might live victorious lives. The best way to defeat the devil in our own lives, and the best way to help others defeat the devil, is to pray that the Lord will help us overcome the devil’s temptations. Actually, the Lord is the only recourse we have in our battle with the devil. We cannot defeat him on human strength and will power alone. In the New Testament, demons always immediately obeyed Jesus. It is Jesus and our faith in Him that helps us win the victory over the devil. There are other examples that Jesus gives us in prayer, but these are three of the most important that I know about. Follow Jesus’ example in prayer and gain the victory that you need. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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