As Christians, we constantly face trials and our obedience to God can be a struggle. From Letha's, "A Beautiful Prayer" devotion, we can truly understand and visualize how Jesus was struggling himself to be obedient to God. Could you imagine being asked to die for everyone else's mistakes and sins? I know I myself am too selfish to die to clean others from their wounds. I wouldn't want to leave my family and friends and I would also be too scared to face such a dreadful tribulation.
Are there areas in your life where you aren't being obedient to God? I know that there are many areas in my life that I have a "spiritual battle" with God on being obedient for His will. We are to focus each day on what God's will is for us and try to live by it! John 14:15 states, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Therefore, if we love God we will follow through with what he requests us to do in his Word. Do you ever find that hard or that he requests too much of us? Sometimes, I look at the bible and think to myself, how in the world can I do everything He expects of me? When I start to think of these negative thoughts on God's commands, I remember that He only commands these things, because He loves us and wants us to live fulfilled lives of joy, peace, contentment, patience, and love. He died for me and I owe Him everything! His requests for me don't even measure up to God's request to Jesus. Therefore, we should be grateful for what He has done for us and never be questioning why He wants us to do certain acts.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
A Beautiful Prayer Devotional on Matthew 26:39
The prayer spoken of in Matthew 26:39 reads this way:
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” It is indeed a beautiful prayer, because it tugs at the very heart of our Savior in His darkest hours. For, He knew exactly what was about to happen to Him. He prayed this prayer three times. There may have been more words than is recorded, but they were the essence of what He had to say.
It was most certainly a Servants Prayer Sent Directly to the Throne of His Father in Heaven. By a Heart That Was Laden With Care? Most certainly! Such A Wonderful Love his World Has Never Known. Can’t you imagine the agonizingly sad tone of His voice when He said, “Thy Will Not My Own Must Be Done”. It was the will of Jesus to omit this part of the plan, because He knew the pain and suffering that was coming. However, He did not come to do His own will, but the will of His Father and that is what He would do. In the Old Testament, we read of the pure innocent lambs that had to be slain periodically for the sins of the people. But this was only a temporary solution. This was not but a shadow of what was yet to come; a shadow of what would be required of the Lamb of God in the New Testament. Nothing but the life of the pure and sinless Son of God would forgive the sins of mankind, never to be remembered again. He would be facing within a matter of hours the cruelest death any human being has ever experienced. A death reserved for the most hardened of criminals and by crucifixion. Only this kind of death could portray such ugliness of sin that it is.
As He Prayed There Alone in Such Deep Agony, we can’t imagine what He was going through. Not even His closest disciples could stay awake long enough to pray with Him. He asked them to pray that they not enter into temptation. I doubt they had any idea what He was talking about. Jesus realized that in their spirit that they truly were willing to endure whatever came about, standing side by side Jesus all of the way. They had all sworn as much to Him in more than one occasion. But, Jesus also knew that their flesh was weak. He knew something about that, because He Himself had taken on the body of mankind, when he was born into the world. But, Jesus had an edge above the others, because He had once lived with the Father in Heaven. He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going. But, He still needed the strength that only His Father could give Him to endure the horrible and tortuous death that He had yet to face. And just to think that, That Great Heart Was Broken for Me and You. That He My Great Savior Must Share!
-Letha Maness
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” It is indeed a beautiful prayer, because it tugs at the very heart of our Savior in His darkest hours. For, He knew exactly what was about to happen to Him. He prayed this prayer three times. There may have been more words than is recorded, but they were the essence of what He had to say.
It was most certainly a Servants Prayer Sent Directly to the Throne of His Father in Heaven. By a Heart That Was Laden With Care? Most certainly! Such A Wonderful Love his World Has Never Known. Can’t you imagine the agonizingly sad tone of His voice when He said, “Thy Will Not My Own Must Be Done”. It was the will of Jesus to omit this part of the plan, because He knew the pain and suffering that was coming. However, He did not come to do His own will, but the will of His Father and that is what He would do. In the Old Testament, we read of the pure innocent lambs that had to be slain periodically for the sins of the people. But this was only a temporary solution. This was not but a shadow of what was yet to come; a shadow of what would be required of the Lamb of God in the New Testament. Nothing but the life of the pure and sinless Son of God would forgive the sins of mankind, never to be remembered again. He would be facing within a matter of hours the cruelest death any human being has ever experienced. A death reserved for the most hardened of criminals and by crucifixion. Only this kind of death could portray such ugliness of sin that it is.
As He Prayed There Alone in Such Deep Agony, we can’t imagine what He was going through. Not even His closest disciples could stay awake long enough to pray with Him. He asked them to pray that they not enter into temptation. I doubt they had any idea what He was talking about. Jesus realized that in their spirit that they truly were willing to endure whatever came about, standing side by side Jesus all of the way. They had all sworn as much to Him in more than one occasion. But, Jesus also knew that their flesh was weak. He knew something about that, because He Himself had taken on the body of mankind, when he was born into the world. But, Jesus had an edge above the others, because He had once lived with the Father in Heaven. He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going. But, He still needed the strength that only His Father could give Him to endure the horrible and tortuous death that He had yet to face. And just to think that, That Great Heart Was Broken for Me and You. That He My Great Savior Must Share!
-Letha Maness
A Beautiful Prayer (Matthew 26:39)
In the bible we read of a beautiful prayer,
A fervent prayer sent to heaven above;
It was prayed by a heart that was laden with care,
And filled with such wonderful love.
You can catch the sad tone of His voice as He said,
“Thy will, not my own must be done.”
As a lamb to the slaughter He soon must be led,
To die as the Crucified One!
As He prayed their alone in such deep agony,
It was a most beautiful prayer;
Just to think His great heart was broken for me,
That He, my great sorrow, must share.
When the Savior was praying in the garden of Gethsemane,
He said, “Loving Father, if you will let this cup pass from me”;
I know He was thinking of the anguish death would bring His own,
How deep was His sorrow, when Jesus was praying alone!
-Letha Maness
A fervent prayer sent to heaven above;
It was prayed by a heart that was laden with care,
And filled with such wonderful love.
You can catch the sad tone of His voice as He said,
“Thy will, not my own must be done.”
As a lamb to the slaughter He soon must be led,
To die as the Crucified One!
As He prayed their alone in such deep agony,
It was a most beautiful prayer;
Just to think His great heart was broken for me,
That He, my great sorrow, must share.
When the Savior was praying in the garden of Gethsemane,
He said, “Loving Father, if you will let this cup pass from me”;
I know He was thinking of the anguish death would bring His own,
How deep was His sorrow, when Jesus was praying alone!
-Letha Maness
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