Journal Of My Life With God

Pressing Trials

Pressing Trials

29/8/2016

What do you do when you come to that point in your life where it seems so difficult, and you feel like you can't take it anymore, and just want to quit? Have you ever felt like the pressures of life pressing onto you so heavily that you can hardly breathe?

What do you do?

What did Jesus do?

On the night before Jesus was about to be betrayed and crucified, He was in a very pressing trial. The burden of the salvation of the entire humanity lay upon His shoulders. Our life and death lay upon His shoulders.

Matthew 26:36-38

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."

Jesus was in a place called Gethsemane. Gethsemane means oil press. This is the place where the olives were pressed to squeeze out the oil. Here, our Lord was pressed for every drop of faith in Him.

He was sorrowful and deeply distressed. It was a very painful experience for our Lord. His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.

What did He do?

Matthew 26:39
39 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."

First, He went a little farther.

He went a little further. When we come to the point in life where we just can't take it anymore and feel like leaving and turning away, don't. Just go a little further. Take that one small step of faith forwards.

Note that He went a little further. He did not go a lot further. Just a little. Not a lot, just a little. Just a little bit more. Just go a little bit more.

Second, He prayed. How did He pray?

Matthew 26:39
39 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."

He fell on His face, and prayed.

He prayed knelt bowed down with His face to the ground before the Father and prayed.

Have you ever prayed knelt bowed down with your face to the ground to God?

Luke 22: 41-44

41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus did not just pray knelt bowed down with His face to the ground before the Father. He prayed more earnestly. He prayed until His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

How hard have you prayed? How hard have you prayed in those times of difficulty? Did you pray kneeling and bowing down with your face on the ground before God? Have you ever prayed until you sweat? Jesus prayed until His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

First, our Lord went a little further. Then, He prayed harder.

Luke 22:43

43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.