Q1. Prayer against Temptation
#1
Posted 14 November 2005 - 12:16 AM
#2
Posted 14 November 2005 - 01:08 PM
What a sad picture of our own prayer lives! Even in the moment of intense crisis we lose focus, our minds wander, we become weary after a short while. I imagine that Jesus' demeanor and intensity in prayer were unlike anything the disciples had ever seen before. One would think that would be enough to shake and wake them up into diligent prayer themselves. I do keep in mind that at this point they were confused and exhausted, and they did not yet have the indwelling presence of the Spirit within to quicken and compel them. But they failed to comprehend the crisis and stay on task. What a discouragement that must have been to Jesus when He came back to find them sleeping. Shame on us, too, as we do the very same thing all the time.
I think maybe Jesus wanted to pray alone for at least two reasons. The disciples had been given one thing to focus on - strength for their own needs, not His. The coming test of their faith had the potential to completely destroy them. He knew they needed to make it through the next three days, but they needed to make it through for something even greater beyond that. All that would be accomplished through what He was about to endure was going to be handed off into their keeping. He was going to secure everlasting redemption, but it was going to be up to them to "Go, ye", to take that news into the world. They needed God's power to resist temptation like never before! And then, this was a personal moment of decision for Him that no other person could share. It was a private decision that only He could make. Like Calvary, Gethsemane was something He had to face alone. An angel was the only attendant qualified to minister in that holy struggle. I believe there is a lesson in that example for us. Sharing prayer needs with others is important, but there are sacred moments when we must "wrestle" with God alone.
#3
Posted 26 November 2005 - 03:03 PM
As to if and how they prayed, it does not sound like they lasted long at anything for they were tired in body. I do not think they truly realized the dangers their Lord was facing for they had seen His miracles and felt he could surely take care of himself as well as them. I doubt even Judas was completely aware of his part of destiny, but was allowing temptation to overcome any love he had for Jesus due to his own desires to "push " the situation into another path of his own choice....thinking Jesus' kingdom would come on earth NOW if he would help it along.? who knows ? If they obeyed Jesus, I think they should have prayed for their Master's safety and theirs and that God's will be done in and through them in their testing times.
The Lord's Prayer reminds us that we will have temptations and their source is evil, and that only our Lord can deliver us from all evil...and I suspect the disciples thought Jesus would deliver them from harm or evil that last night also, for He is the one who taught them this prayer. I have always wondered at the wording..."Lead us not into temptation". I find it difficult to recognize His leading me into temptation, but if this is so, I am sure it is to teach me how to overcome it, so we will not allow ourselves to be led into temptation and also to help us recognize what is evil and what is not.
Jesus's mission in life on earth was ending and He knew it, and although He wished for his disciple's support in prayer, He knew that his death could only be faced by Himself. He intimately knew His Father and wanted to speak privately to Him in a human sense to ask for His help and love and deliverance if possible. This shows His humanity to me in a dear way, for his flesh must have cringed at the thought of being the object of HATE and EVIL and UNJUSTICE of human nature at its worse.
#4
Posted 26 November 2005 - 03:33 PM
He knew that they would be tempted by the devil and his evil plans.He also knew that no person could resist the devil on his own. The only way that a person can resist the evil plan of the devil is to pray to the Father that He would intervene on their behalf.
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing?
They would lie saying they did not know Jesus. They would have doubts that Jesus was the son of God.
What was the content of their prayer to be?
Not to be lead away by the temptation.
Did they actually pray this prayer diligently?
They may have prayed the pray but with not as much conviction as what Christ was praying.
How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer?
13And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.'
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer?
He wanted quite time with the Father. How could he hear what the Father had to say to him if he was not quite before the Father.
#5
Posted 26 November 2005 - 07:22 PM
He asked his disciples to pray so they wouldn't fall into the temptation of denying Him. The content of their prayer was to be "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. They did not pray. I think Jesus wanted to be alone with his Father so he could concentrate completely on Him and what was at hand. What he was facing to do he would have to do on his own and he couldn't afford to get distracted by others or interupted or take time to answer their questions or to teach or minister to them.
#6
Posted 27 November 2005 - 09:01 AM
JESUS WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND HE KNEW THAT IN ORDER FOR THE DISCIPLES TO RESIST TEMPTATION THIS COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PRAYING.
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing?
THE DENIAL AND JESUS ON THE CROSS.
What was the content of their prayer to be?
THEY WILL NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION.
Did they actually pray this prayer diligently?
IF THEY HAD THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE PREPARED THEM FOR WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN INSTEAD ONE BETRAYED HIM AND SOME OF THEM DENIED HIM.
How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer?
FIRST IT ADDRESSES GOD FOR WHO HE IS. THEN HE PETITIONED GOD ABOUT THIS WILL. HE THEN PLED FOR REMOVAL OF THIS BURDEN, THIS CUP (THE CROSS) FROM HIM BUT ONLY IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE FATHER TO LET GOD KNOW THAT HE IS AND WILL SERVE HIS WILL NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE TEMPTATION, HE WILL GET THE JOB DONE TO FULFILL GOD'S WILL..
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer?
I BELIEVE HE WANTED TO BE ALONE BECAUSE HE KNEW THE SERVERITY OF WHAT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. HE DID NOT WANT ANY INTERUPTIONS WHEN HE PRAYED ABOUT IT. HE KNEW THE TIME WAS ABOUT TO COME SO HE WAS PREPARING HIMSELF THROUGH PRAYER SO THAT HE WOULD NOT FAIL.
#7
Posted 27 November 2005 - 09:58 PM
Jesus asked his disciples to pray because he would be leaving them soon and they would need extra strength. The temptations would be that they would run away, deny that they had any relationship with Jesus or would feel decieved that he had left them. It was a prayer of acknowledgement, petition and submission.
He knew what was about to take place and he needed the time alone in prayer with the Father.
#8
Posted 27 November 2005 - 10:55 PM
Jesus asked his diciples to pray because he knew they would need strength to resist temptation of denial. The whole of Christianity depended on their actions over the next few days.
They didn't pray diligently "they fell asleep" because they didn't understand the importance and the events to come. The Lord's prayer specifically addresses the need to be delivered from evil.
There are many types of prayer. Communal prayer was not appropriate because this needed to be a personal communication between Jesus and His Father. He needed the personal time, the assurance, the love of His Father to prepare Him for what was to come.
#9
Posted 28 November 2005 - 12:47 AM
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing? In sittuations as that was ahead of them. They would be tempted to lie.
What was the content of their prayer to be? Lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Did they actually pray this prayer diligently? I dont think so.
How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer? But deliver us from evil.
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer? In years to come or the times ahead his deciples were to be operating in Faith. Therefore The Lord did not want to expose his weakness; the expressions of anguish and asking for the Cup to be taken away if willed by the Father to be so.Otherwise knowing the Lords weaknesses would weaken their Faith. Wisdom was what was demonstrated here.
The Lord All so knowing and being human at the same time had taken the responsibility to protect and help his deciples grow in faith, and exposing his own weaknesses was not such a Good idea for his deciples in the times ahead.
Amen.
#10
Posted 28 November 2005 - 02:06 AM
the content of their prayer was for them to prat and ask the Father to lead them away from temptation, and to keep them from evil. They didn't pray diligently because they fell asleep. they needed to pray this prayer so when temptation come
they would have the strenght to resist it Jesus wanted to be alone to talk to his Father without any interuption
#11
Posted 28 November 2005 - 02:48 PM
Jesus knew they would be facing the temptation to cut and run, or the strength to stand by Him. I am not sure.
I think the content of their prayer would be for strength, and I don't think they did pray.
"Lead us not into temptation, and protect us from evil."
Jesus was a man after all - here, showing His greatest humanity, and humility, and needed solitude with His Father, as was His custom.
#12
Posted 28 November 2005 - 03:43 PM
Jesus knew what was going to happen and he knew that the temptation was at hand not just for himself but for those that followed him. He knew they needed more to withstand this temptation.
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing?
They would be faced with the fact they where disciples of his and that they would need strength to stand to be faithful to what he had been teaching them.
What was the content of their prayer to be?
That they would not fall into temptation and that they would be strong when ask if they knew him and if they followed him.
Did they actually pray this prayer diligently?
No they where tired and went to sleep.
How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer?
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer?
Jesus knew he was going to cry out to the Father he was going to say things to his Father that they would not understand and they did not need to hear. It would have only placed fear in their hearts if they could have known before time. As it did when they went through it all with him.
#13
Posted 28 November 2005 - 04:47 PM
Jesus knew there was going to be a shift of protection and provision for all disciples from God among us to God within us from God above us. Jesus warned the twelve about falling into temptation because when people rely on self-preservation instead of God's provision we tend to do all kinds of evil. Was it bad that they fell asleep? I don't think so, it just showed how confident they were of who Jesus was, that he was truly the Son of God. But they could not understand how that could change no matter how many times Jesus had told them..
Jesus stepped aside to pray "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." Temptation is what separates us from the will of God. This is the suffering Jesus was so fearful of. Not the death which He came for but the separation of all from God. I think he may have stepped aside to pray in private so the disciples faith would remain as strong as it could be. Jesus told Simon, "When you come back to me". He didn't say your faith would never faulter, he said when you regain it I want you to share it with your brothers so that they may regain their's. " But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."
#14
Posted 29 November 2005 - 06:34 AM
Prayer is done when we need communion with God. This was the time when God's communion and protection were needed the most. That's why Jesus asked His disciples to pray. Because He knew they would face the temptation of their basic faith in Jesus. Whether they would accept Him as thier leader and stand up for Him. Thier content would be for protection against temptation. That they would resist the temptation. They took things lightly. They were not aware of the gravity of the situation. As was the custom, they made it to the Mount of Olives and as usual, they went to sleep. They did not think that this was their last night with Jesus. Otherwise they would be around Him and praying with Him. They did not pray diligently as they did not fully undestand the gravity of the situation. Or even if they knew, they thought that Jesus would deal with the situation with His miraculous powers.
In the Lord's prayer, the term ' lead us not into temptation' is closely associated with this. Jesus wanted to be alone with His Father as He knew that this partucular event had to be faced by Himself alone. This temptation to escape the wrath of God should be faced by Himself alone and conquered by Him. That's why He went ahead for some distance and prayed that great burdensome prayer setting in motion the great example for us to follow. Not our will but the will of the Father is more important in our life.
[FONT=Times]I can do all things through Christ that
strengthens me. Phil 4:13
#15
Posted 29 November 2005 - 05:32 PM
Jesus wanted His disciples to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. He does not want to see His disciples give into temptation and the best way to do this is to pray.
I think that it is that they may betray him as Judas did. That they would pray for strength and not turn from all that Jesus had taught them.
Jesus wanted them to pray with Him that they not fall into temptation
I think that they started to pray diligently but then they kept falling asleep.
"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."
Because He was dealing with His own temptations and His prayers were for many other things. He was praying for the will to do so His Father's will. He was praying for the strength to take His Father's cup and for the ability to follow through and sacrifice Himself for the rest of the humanity. I think that he knew the others would not understand.
REMEMBER, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
#16
Posted 29 November 2005 - 11:25 PM
Jesus asked His disciples to pray because He knew that each of them would be facing different temptations. He knew when He asked them to pray that He'd find them asleep when He returned from talking to the Father. He also knew that they would be tempted in various situations during their ministry after He gave the Great Commission before His ascension to heaven. That night, however, they were to pray that they would not give in to temptation, not that they wouldn't face temptation, an inevitable part of life. I would imagine that, due to the lateness of the hour, they were tired and simply wanted to go to sleep. Jesus found them asleep (hence His rebuke in verse 46), therefore, they were certainly not being diligent in their prayers.
We know very well the line in the Lord's Prayer that says, "...and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
I think Jesus wanted to be alone because He didn't want His disciples to see the angst He experienced as He grappled with the impending culmination of the work that He had come to do and the human tendency to shirk the most unpleasant fate that awaited Him.
#17
Posted 29 November 2005 - 11:31 PM
#18
Posted 30 November 2005 - 12:44 PM
to have the help of GOD for what will be coming in the future for them.
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing?
thier lives on the line for Jesus
What was the content of their prayer to be?
to follow in Jesus' path
Did they actually pray this prayer diligently?
i would think not...otherwise they wouldn't of made the mistakes they made
How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer?
it shows his true feelings, yet tells GOD that even though he doesn't care for what's to happen to him if that's what GOD wants then he'll abide by it.
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer?
it's personal between him and his father. also not to show weekness to the apostles and it would scare them.
#19
Posted 02 December 2005 - 12:29 PM
What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing? Because he knew he would soon be leaving the. He also knew they would need extra strength to face the temtations ahead -temtations to run away, or to deny their relationship with him. Also, they were about to see him die- would they still think he was the Messiah? Their strongest temtation would be to think they had been decieved.
What was the content of their prayer to be? To follow Jesus Did they actually pray this prayer diligently? Not hardly.
How does the Lord's prayer word this kid of prayer? Lead us not into temtation but deliver us from evil.
Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer? To talk to his Father and have solitude .
#20
Posted 02 December 2005 - 07:36 PM
Even though temptation is a fact of life, it is my prayer every day for the covering of the Blood of Jesus and Psalm 91.
Jesus would pray in a quiet place in the crack of dawn, because there is less distractions. As He has instructed us to pary.

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