ASH WEDNESDAY — DAY 1 OF LENT
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed him. On reaching the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”
Luke 22: 39-46.
Today we begin the 40 Days of Lent. Be prepared for surprises, especially if you invest your time with the Lord in His Word and in quiet prayer. Like the events of these 40 days in the Scriptures our days will be filled with both sorrow and joy. Let these moments, these experiences, be opportunities to open your heart — your life — to The Lord. You will feel more human than ever as you feel the connections between sorrow and joy. The deepest moments of sorrow in life often reveal the deepest companions in life. But listening is essential, listening of our hearts, for there we find deep joy and the blessings of great sorrow.
Jesus is in deep prayer and sorrow, fearful of His pending suffering and death following Him closely into the Garden. So He prays that His Father in heaven, if willing, would spare Him of this terrible death that is finally upon Him. But here Jesus teaches to us so much about prayer, so much about intimacy with God, that what matters so much is the subordination of our will to God’s wishes.
As you pray, then, give up your needs, wishes, and your will — to God’s will. When you pray, surrender to God. Practice placing your heart in the arms and hands of God. Inhale the breath of God. Give up control of your living and dying to God. In these next 40 days, “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” Luke 22: 46.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner…
and Lord, may Your will be done on earth — and in my life — as it is in heaven. Amen.
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