What is prayer? Just asking so we can think about it a little as we come to one of Jesus’ most well-known prayers, the one in Gethsemane. I have a couple of books in my library. One is by Charles Albert Blanchard, published in 1915 by the Bible Institute Colportage Assn, entitles, Prayer: Getting Things from God. The other, published in 1959 by InterVarsity Press, written by Rosalind Rinker, is called, Prayer: Conversing with God.
Sometimes I wonder if Blanchard was a bit crass or “lite” in his thinking. How is his description of prayer different than sitting on Santa’s lap? But then I open up his book and see that it is actually quite deep. He deals with some of the thorny questions we often have about prayer. Then I think about Rinker, and think, “I wish I had that kind of prayer life, one of good fellowship with my heavenly Father.” I remember the prayer meetings we used to have where we didn’t spend more time gathering requests than we spent in prayer. We just began to converse with the Lord, and joining the back-and-forth praying as we joined our fellow believers in their times of difficulty. It was truly a group conversation with God.
You can consider these things as we come to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed, Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. I see deep fellowship with the Father, as Jesus, troubled and deeply distressed, entered into prayer, calling upon “Abba, Father.” He is in full control of His mental faculties, but without doubt, He is filled with emotion. It is the way you would begin a conversation when you were at the most difficult moment of your life. And then He asks! “Take this cup away!” He wants something from His Father, His God!
Jesus was doing what God always desired people to do!
· Gen. 2:8; 3:8-10: God desired fellowship with Adam and Eve. It was fundamental to why He had created them. He put them in a garden. That speaks of fellowship, of a place where conversations can be enjoyable. But we should note that it is a fellowship that cannot exist if there is the presence of sin. Our parents knew something was wrong, that they were now afraid of God. So they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
· Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5: Generations later, Enoch had such a close fellowship with God that God took him home. He had this testimony that he pleased God.
· Gen. 12:6-8: Abraham was amazing. Even before he believed so as to be justified (Gen. 15:6) God could talk with him. He called him from Ur of the Chaldees and Abram obeyed. Everywhere he went Abram built an altar to the God who was talking with him. Why? Because he knew what Abel knew, that God could only be approached by sinners if there was atonement by the shedding of blood. Think on that and we’ll continue tomorrow.
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