Daily Devotional for February 12, 2011

Matthew 26:36-41
Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, and he said to them, "I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me." Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want." He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak."

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Have you ever heard someone discuss a particular situation and say, “All we can do is pray.”? The truth of the matter is… prayer is often all that is needed. We tend to underestimate the power of our prayers… and I include myself when I say that for many of us, our prayer life needs some work! We are like James and John… we let “life” get in the way. We are too tired, too busy, or even too disinterested to make time for communication with God.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we can change the will of God with prayer any more than Jesus could… nor am I saying that God might have changed His mind, had James and John stayed awake and prayed with Jesus. But quite often, we gain more from praying even when we don’t get the outcome we desire. Notice I said it was our desired outcome, not God’s. To pray for God’s will, understanding that it may be different from our own, signifies a complete trust in His plans… and a surrender of our own.

At the same time, we really have no room to complain about any outcome if we didn’t pray at all. Prayer does change things. God hears our prayers. I believe that quite often, what God is really seeking from us in prayer is a total leap of faith and trust in His decision for the outcome. Many times we may feel helpless about things that are happening in our life or the lives of those for whom we care. Sometimes, all we feel we can do is pray. And often, our prayers are, indeed, enough… and all that God requires of us in that particular situation.

Once we begin to understand the power of prayer… and its importance for our lives and the lives of others in our circle… we may find it easier to make time to communicate with God. Sometimes, we don’t fully grasp this power and importance until we actually give prayer a try. Why not see for yourself how God responds to your prayers? Show Him that you trust His will for your life and are ready to seek it. You have nothing to lose… and you might just have everything to gain. Stay for awhile and talk to God… He’s waiting to hear from you!

©2011 Debbie Robus