A prayer of the Bible
Jesus in Gethsemane
Prayed by Jesus · Matthew 26:36-39
In Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:36-39), Jesus, in anguish, honestly asks the Father to take the cup of suffering from him, then surrenders to the Father's will: 'not as I will, but as thou wilt.' It is the model of honest prayer that ends in trust.
The prayer
The moment, and what it teaches
Hours before he is arrested, Jesus goes to a garden to pray, and for once the Gospels let us see him afraid. He is 'exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.' He falls on his face. Luke says his sweat was like great drops of blood. This is not serene. This is the most honest prayer ever prayed, and it has two halves that every suffering person needs.
The first half is complete honesty: 'let this cup pass from me.' He does not pretend he wants to suffer. He asks, plainly, for another way. God is not fragile; you may tell him exactly what you wish were different. But then the second half, and it is the hinge on which the salvation of the world turns: 'nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' Honest desire, surrendered to a Father he trusts even here. He teaches us that faith is not the absence of the request to be spared. It is the willingness, after the request, to trust the Father's will more than our own.
Tell God exactly what you wish were different. Then, like Jesus, trust his will more than your own.
Pray it yourself
These prayers were not written to be admired from a distance. They were prayed by frightened, hoping, ordinary people, and the same God still listens. The Living Bread is a quiet place to pray, to be prayed for, and to learn to talk with God honestly, at your own pace.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- What did Jesus pray in Gethsemane?
- On the night before his crucifixion, in deep anguish, Jesus prayed, '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). He honestly asked to be spared, then surrendered fully to the Father's will.
- What does the Gethsemane prayer teach?
- That honest prayer and trusting surrender belong together. Jesus did not hide his desire to avoid suffering, but he trusted the Father's will more than his own. It is the pattern for praying through fear and grief.