prayer without ceasing – Larus Press

Not my will but Thine be done: Why did Jesus pray three times?

Matthew 26:39-44 states,

“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

“Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”

Why did Jesus pray three times? Didn’t GOD hear him the first time? Didn’t Jesus have faith enough to trust Yehovah? Was he trying to persuade his father?

No. It was none of these things which prompted Jesus to repeat his prayer. I don’t believe so. Rather, he needed to work through the pain, and praying allowed him to do that until he was satisfied, at peace with the inevitable that was to come.

How many times do we need to pray?

When we earnestly seek the Father’s will, He gives us the heart and He gives us the words. Prayer is asking, pleading, praising, praying; prayer is coming to that place of peace, that place where “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven” is completed within us. That can require repeating.

It is not for Yehovah that we repeat, but for ourselves. We can take comfort that, even in the darkest hour, Jesus came through. But he, the Son of GOD and the Son of Man, had to work through — beyond temptation and fear –GOD’s will. He knew it, acknowledged it, believed it, accepted it from the start. But he worked it through until Shalom.

Bless each of us as we work through the difficult times. Paul said we are to pray without ceasing.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

What is prayer?

Prayer is such an amazing tool and gift. Ultimately, it leads us to the throne room of God. Prayer elevates our thinking and reveals God’s perspective to us. It is the means we use to fight and win against the enemy. But until we dig, reflect, relate personally through prayer and worship, and allow ourselves to be broken, we cannot grow to be the spiritual warriors God has created us to be.

Romans 1:9-10 is just one of many scriptures that shows the effort prayer takes:

“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.”

In the end, Paul did get to Rome.

Have you experienced profound practical results directly through your prayer life?

If you find prayer yields less than you hope, rest assured it isn’t because God is absent. You can deepen your prayer life. While it starts with determined effort, through reading the Bible and giving yourself a quiet space and personal room for calm moments of reflection, it doesn’t really blossom until you connect with the Holy Spirit, does it?

You can’t demand the Holy Spirit meet you, but you who have the Holy Spirit inside you, can expect Him to draw near. Everything in the Word that Jesus says about God’s Spirit promises intimacy. God hears our prayers; His Spirit is willing and eager to meet with us.

Let’s look at an issue I have experienced to show how close the Holy Spirit is to us…

Ready: My young son’s spiritual maturity is very much a heart issue for me. I earnestly seek God’s will for his life and pray protection over him daily. I don’t say a prayer and leave it at that. But nor do I repeat the same prayer over and over, because I believe God hears me the first time. I don’t presume and let the issue drop.

Set: I pray daily for my son: for his growth, through the issues that arise in his life, lifting up the challenges and situations he faces, and for his future as a Godly man. The words of my prayers change, but my heart’s desire does not. I also yield my prayers to God, asking Him to reveal His heart for the child, and His timing in the experiences that will teach and grow the boy.

One example of praying without ceasing is covering my son in prayer: for his safety, his maturity, his relationship with God, and his personal identity. I trust God hears me and I allow Him to touch my heart and to guide my prayers, as I surrender my will and my son’s life to God.

By the time he’s 21, my son will be a man. I still won’t stop covering him in prayer, but as now, the prayers will be adapted according to the needs and circumstances he faces, and based on God’s leadership and not my own.

Go: Now, is it your turn to sit with the LORD? Time to talk with Him, and to praise Him for the unfolding of answered prayer.

Earnestly seek Him, His will and His way, and He will reveal Himself and the ways in which He needs you and your prayer life to grow.

Seek a quiet place to pray.