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Matthew 26:36-46
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Additional Scripture References: Isaiah 51:17, Psalm 75:8, Luke 22:43, John 16:33
When you experience difficulty, what is your response? Do you call a friend, go for a walk, avoid the situation, get angry, cry? When crisis hits, we all react in different ways. Many of us find our minds running wild, anxious thoughts fighting to be the loudest in the room. For others of us, we aim to take control, finding some level of order in the chaos. It’s in our lowest moments that we find God is the only one who can truly calm us. As we study the response of Jesus in the garden, in the midst of his most difficult trial, we can learn practical patterns to persevere.
It’s not always the thing, more often or not it’s how we think about the thing.
In a moment of crisis, Jesus gives his disciples a command — watch & pray. Many of us are asleep to the tactics of the enemy. He’s waging war in our minds. Robbing us of peace. Causing us to mismanage our blessings. Stealing our everyday joy. We must protect the abundant life that Jesus promised us by guarding our hearts. Praying is offense. Watching is defense. Together, these two disciplines give us the strength to fight anxiety and pressure with both hands.
Matthew 26:40 -41
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
As believers, prayer is one of the strongest weapons we have in the midst of crisis. In the garden, we see Jesus’ response to pressure is prayer. If Jesus prayed, so can we! As we study his words to the Father we see that his prayers were both honest and obedient.
Matthew 26:39
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:42
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
In the garden we find a picture of persistence — Jesus prayed not once, but three times. He prayed for God’s will to be done. Jesus is the lamb of God who was slain since the foundations of the universe. He knew why he was coming to earth. Jesus knew what his mission was. Yet, in these final moments, he had a choice to make — fulfill the calling or quit. You and I have a choice to make, in our darkest hour, will we run to Jesus? He is with us, even in the crisis. When we face difficulty, we can find peace in knowing God goes before us, he paves a trail through our trials and gives us peace in the pressure.
Develop a prayer discipline. Set aside time this week to pray with God. Your preparation matters! Whether for 3 minutes or 30, prepare to pray and commit to following through.
If someone in your Crew needs care, we want to come alongside you. Our Care Response Team is designed to equip you to walk with people in different seasons of their life.
Our team is committed to celebrating life’s best moments with you and offering support through its hardest ones.
We would love to come around you for the following life events:
+ Marriages
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Please submit a request at vouschurch.com/requestcare
There are only a few times each year when our VOUS family gathers under one roof. Team Conference is one of them. It’s the moment we come together as one team, united in vision and ready for the season ahead.
Team Conference is a free 1-day gathering that celebrates and equips the servant leaders of VOUS Church, with leadership sessions, God's word, unforgettable moments and so much more.
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Where: VOUS City
When: Saturday, September 13
Time: 8:15AM
Address: 6101 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127
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Meet our staff, connect with current students and discover how VOUS College can be the place where you grow in your calling.
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When: Thursday, October 9th
Time: 12:00PM - 3:00PM
Address: 17801 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33169
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