Sometimes Jesus Did Not Want to Pray Alone

Scripture — Matthew 26:36-40

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?”

Devotion

Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane

In Monday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I reflected on the fact that Jesus often went out into the countryside in order to pray by himself. He was not alone because he was with his Heavenly Father. But he was alone in the ordinary sense, with no other people nearby as he prayed. The example of Jesus teaches us that there are times when being alone in this way is right and good.

But at other times when Jesus expected to pray intensely, he purposefully invited people to be with him. The most striking of these instances comes late in the life of Jesus, shortly before his crucifixion. After engaging in what we call the Last Supper with his disciples (Matthew 26:26-30), Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane in order to pray. As he went into the garden, ostensibly to be alone with his Father in heaven, Jesus “took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,” namely James and John (26:37). He explained to them that he was “deeply grieved” and asked them to “stay awake with me” (26:38). Going on a bit farther, Jesus “threw himself on the ground” and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want” (26:39). Returning to Peter, James, and John, he discovered that they had fallen asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?” (26:40). When Jesus went away to pray, once again his disciples fell asleep, to Jesus’s consternation.

Matthew’s version of this story highlights the desire of Jesus to have his closest followers and friends with him in his time of agonizing prayer. In verse 28 Jesus requested that they “stay awake with me.” Then, in verse 40 he asked, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?” The little phrase “with me” is crucial here. In his time of severe trial, he wanted his people to be with him, to offer moral and prayer support. As he prayed in Gethsemane, Jesus did not want to do it alone.

There are certainly times when, like Jesus, we need to communicate with God all by ourselves. And, like Jesus, there are times when we need others to be with us. As I reflect on this truth, I’m reminded of how I related to God during the time when my dad was dying of cancer. One time, while walking alone in the hills above my parents’ home, I was talking to God about how disappointed I was in the fact that my prayers for my dad’s healing had been denied. As I poured out my sadness and despair, all of a sudden God met me in that secluded place. I sensed God’s presence and love in a powerful way. I knew in a way that I had not known before that my dad would soon die and that God deeply loved him, my family, and me. That time with the Lord was absolutely transformational.

Yet, as I think back on that painful season of life, I also remember many times of prayer shared with brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember how it felt to pray with them for my dad. I could feel their urgency in prayer and their love for my dad and me. I don’t know how I would have made it through the difficult season of life apart from having people “with me” as I prayed.

I expect you may have similar memories of times when having people with you made a huge difference as you prayed. I’d encourage you to reflect on those times to see what the Lord might be saying to you through them. My encouragement to you today is simple. Yes, be sure to set aside time in your life to be alone with the Lord. And yes, be sure to have others with you when you pray, especially in times of suffering, fear, and sadness. If Jesus needed to have his friends with him when he prayed in Gethsemane, surely you need the same in your moments of severe trial and testing.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Cup of Suffering and Judgment.

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