Going a little Further
Devotional Reading: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:39 KJV
Matthew 26: 36-46 recounts the instance when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples to pray. We find that at a certain point, Jesus instructs the majority of the disciples to stay back while asking Peter, James, and John to come with Him deeper into the garden to pray. Then the Bible says that Jesus “went a little further to pray.”
There is something to be said about the example of Jesus illustrated in those five words: “a little further to pray”. When God desires to take us further in our purpose, He calls us to go further in our prayer life. And in order to go a little further in our purpose, we must purpose to go a little further in our prayers. Sometimes prayer requires an extra effort or a greater intention; sometimes it needs to be elevated in our priorities.
Having a set time and place or an appointment on our calendar helps in making our prayer life more consistent. Sometimes when God wants to take us “a little further,” He calls us to change not the length of our prayer time but the consistency of it. Someone once said, our prayer life is not the litmus test for our spiritual discipline but rather the indicator of the health of our relationship with God. Relationships are built and sustained by constant communication. Of course, God already knows the details of our lives, but there is an expressed dependence upon God when we invite Him into those details. The man or woman who does not pray is essentially telling God, “I’ve got this,” revealing alarming pride and self-sufficiency.
God desires to take us beyond what we can do in our own strength in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives. But truthfully, we can only journey in our calling insofar as we’ve paved the distance in prayer.
Prayer and Confession
O Lord, I’m ready to go extra mile with you, to spend some time with you in prayer. I receive the grace for this! Amen
Further Reading – Daniel 6:10, 2Thessalonians 5:17
