Lighthouse Community Church

Do you ever wonder how or what to pray for in the midst of trials? Should I ask God for help? Is it ok to ask God to remove the trial for my life? Can I question what God is doing through this trial? We can find the answers by looking at how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives on the night before his death.

In Luke 22:39-46, we see four things that Jesus prayed for as he agonized over his imminent death on the cross. Based on his example, we know that in the midst of trials, we can

1. Pray for spiritual strength

a. V. 40 - notice that Jesus tells the disciples that they are the ones who need to pray so that they will not fall into temptation. In the midst of trials, we may be distracted by what is going on and we may not be fully awareness of the temptation that is coming our way. We should ask God to strengthen us spiritually so that we will recognize these temptations and avoid them.

2. Pray for deliverance

a. V. 42 - Jesus asked the Father to deliver him from dying on the cross if it was in line with the Father's will. It is ok to ask God to deliver us from our trials. However, we must pray with an attitude that is submissive to God's sovereignty over all things, including the trial we are going through.

3. Pray for God's will to be done

a. V. 42 - Praying for God's will to be done means praying that our hearts will be one with God's heart regarding the outcome of the trial. We must remember that in his infinite wisdom, God works all things for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). Praying for God's will to be done means placing our complete trust in this verse and what God wants to do in our lives through the trial.

4. Pray for physical endurance

a. V. 43 - Trials take their toll on us emotional and physically. Quite often, trials are exhausting and when we are tired, we often make bad decisions. We should pray for physical endurance to persevere through the trial in the way that is most glorifying to God.

Within hours after praying in the garden, Jesus was hanging on the cross. Does that mean that God didn't hear his prayers? Definitely not. God hears all of our prayers. God heard Jesus' prayers, but God's will was for Jesus to die for our sins. The plan of salvation was already in motion and because Jesus chose to glorify God by going to the cross, sinners all over the world are forgiven and can look forward to eternal life.