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"The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak
and went out alone into the wilderness to pray."
"But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness
for prayer."
"One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain
to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak
he called together all of his disciples and chose
twelve of them to be apostles."
"He went a little farther and fell face down
on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible,
the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 'Abba,
Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you.
Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet
I want your will, not mine.'"
— New Living Translation
What do you think?
- Do you think you’d get to know a new friend
better in a crowd, or spending time alone with them?
- Before making tough decisions, do you talk with
others and get their advice? Why?
- How much time do you think Jesus spent praying
each day as a teen?
- Sometimes it’s easier making decisions, even
tough ones, on your own. But as a Christian, are
you really ever alone?
- Do you really believe prayer changes things? Explain.
- What is the longest period of time you’ve
spent praying [meaning focused prayer time with
no other distractions]?
What does God think?
Why do you think it’s important to spend time
alone with God the way Jesus did (Mk. 1:35)?
Did Jesus place a high priority on prayer? How did
he show this (Lk. 5:16)?
Why do you suppose Jesus prayed "all night"
before choosing the apostles (Lk. 6:12-13)? What does
this tell you about the relationship of prayer to
important decisions you have to make?
Without question, Jesus is praying in the midst of
a crisis (Mk. 14:35-36). And, it is often true that
during a crisis we realize we’re out of control.
How did Jesus gain control over his crisis?
Although Jesus recognized that his request may not
be what God wanted, he was deeply committed to God’s
will in his circumstances (Mk. 14:35-36). Praying
like Jesus, therefore, means asking what God wants,
not asking for what we want.
Note: In Matthew’s account of Mk. 14:25-26 Jesus’
persistence in prayer is demonstrated where he prays
the same prayer three times (Mt. 26:39, 42, 44)!
Now that you know these things . . .
- Remember: When praying, expect God to answer (see,
Mk. 11:24; Lk. 11:9-10; Jn. 16:23).
- Like Jesus, you must pray regularly, extensively,
earnestly, persistently, and privately. Make a
list of how do you plan to integrate these habits
into your prayer life? Then, be prepared next
week to share with this ABS your progress.
- Do you find your prayer life more like a laundry
list of requests from God? How can you begin focusing
your prayer life on what God wants for you?
- How will your prayer life change in relation
to making important decisions? Ask another person
in this ABS to pray for you to make this change.
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