SEP 9

Matthew 26:44
Memorise 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Pray without ceasing.”

As His life on this earth drew to an end, Christ sought solitude in Gethsemane to pray. To be fervent is to possess passionate intensity. We see the earnest fervency of Christ’s prayer in the following ways:

1. He sought a quiet place where He could pray, focused, undisturbed and privately without distractions.
2. Christ fell on His face as He prayed, demonstrating a spirit of total humility before the Father.
3. It was at night, the end of a long day. Christ was physically tired, but yet he saw the need to pray. Prayer requires time and discipline.
4. Christ kept on praying despite disappointment from those closest and dearest to Him. Peter, James and John fell asleep not once but twice. Imagine the disappointment Christ felt, as they could not even stay awake for an hour to watch and pray with Him one last time. Nevertheless, He let them be and continued praying, singularly focused and undaunted.
5. Christ prayed the same prayer repeatedly, with great sincerity and anguish so much so that despite the cool hour of the night He had sweat which was as great drops of blood that fell to the ground. He prayed acknowledging the total power of the Father to let the cup pass from Him, yet not His will but the Father’s be done.

Christ prayed with such intensity because He knew how important prayer was, especially in light of the great trial that He was about to face. If He as the Son of God saw such a need for fervent prayer, what more for us?

Perhaps you think you have a pretty healthy prayer life. In light of Christ our perfect example, reassess your prayer life. Do you have a private prayer life, or do you only pray during public occasions such as Sunday Worship or Prayer Meetings? Is your prayer life disciplined, or subject to your moods and level of energy? Can you honestly say you have prayed with the same fervour that Christ had? Examine your life. Are there not things in your life that are worthy of sustained and persevering prayer? An unsaved loved one or friend? Besetting sin that you struggle with? Direction in an important decision you need to make? Struggling to obey God’s commandments? Becoming slack or lacking wisdom in service? If these things truly matter to you, then surely you will make time on your knees in prayer. Not just an occasional prayer, but committed, earnest, sincere and fervent prayer.

Thought: Re-examine not just what you are praying for but why.
Prayer: Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray.