KEEP IT REAL

 
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:35-36)
The way Jesus conducts Himself on the night He would be betrayed and have His closest friends deny knowing Him is amazing. How would you handle knowing what was going to happen? Knowing what was about to happen and knowing there was no other way. It makes the prayer he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane even more astonishing.
 
There are three amazing qualities that we should take notice of. Firstly, the level of relationship that He has with the Father. He uses the word “Abba” which is a Hebrew word used to refer to fathers by their children in much the same way you would hear someone using “dad” or “daddy” in our 21st-century context. He knew He could approach God with that level of intimacy. He was secure in his relationship with God. We have access to God in the same way that Jesus did. We are offered that same level of intimacy. All of that has been made possible through Jesus’ obedience on that night. Through His life lived, death and resurrection, we too can approach God and cry out “Abba, Father”.
 
Secondly, the level of honesty Jesus displays. He bares all with God. He acknowledges that God could change this situation and asks the question. He cried out to God in that moment. We should be encouraged by Jesus’ willingness to bring His situation before God. How often are these the moments where we shut off from God? Where in fact this is the opposite of what we should do. If Jesus, knowing what was about to come, can bring it before God then so can we! We should be honest with God and tell Him if we are angry, sad or disappointed. We should seek the comfort of our loving heavenly Father who cares deeply about our situation. 
 
Finally, the total submission of Jesus. He stops and says “but not my way Lord but yours”. This can be the hardest part sometimes. It can be hard to lay aside pride and yield to God especially when life is not going as we would have planned. He says in the midst of this that He trusts God’s plan even until death. Are you someone in the midst of everything who yields to God? Or is this something you find tough?
1) Do you find drawing near to God with the intimacy Jesus shows us hard? If so, why?
2) Do you find being vulnerable and honest difficult? What could you do to grow in honesty with God in prayer?
3) Are there areas of your life where you need to yield to or give control to God? Take a moment to bring this before God and take a moment to tell him how you feel.
 
Lord Jesus, in the same way Your disciples asked You to teach them how to pray, teach me how to pray also. Help me to be honest and vulnerable, approaching You with closeness as a child would to their father. Help me above all else to yield to Your will. Amen.
Today’s Everyday Devotions were brought to you by Joshua Jones and Cameron Johnson, part of the Wimbledon venue. 
 
If you have time, consider carrying on your conversation with God using one of our helpful Prayer Pathways. 
 
Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.

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