Vol. 21 No. 22 | June 3, 2019
The Jesus story grows darker as He moves closer to the cross.
John 18 begins with these words:
When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it.
Chapter 18 is action packed, but the action that intrigues me most is this:
When He had finished praying, Jesus left…
Violence, arrest, ridicule, hatred, torture, pain, suffering, death on a cross- that is what He was facing. He knew that, and He left. He went toward it.
What do you do after you pray?
Occasionally after I pray, I do nothing. I just wait. I lay it all out before the Lord and do nothing, waiting to receive a directive, confirmation, affirmation, or a clear answer. His responses would vary.
Of course, there are times when doing nothing is the wise thing to do. We often remind each other: “Be still and know I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
But then sometimes, I rush into action. I pray and claim it. My reasoning being, I prayed, God heard me, it’s time to move. It’s time to make the change. I’m tired of waiting, and I know God is going to do what I want, so off the cliff I go.
Sometimes that turns out well. At other times, I am dependent on the Lord to protect me from my actions.
And then there are times, after I pray, I second-guess myself. Is that really what I want or need to happen? What if the Lord answers that prayer? Am I really willing to make that commitment? So, for His gentleness and mercy that allow me to clarify my motives and true desires, I am thankful.
As you follow Jesus’s path toward His fate, there were times when, after He prayed, He waited to hear from the Father. For example, in Matthew 4, when He was in the wilderness, He relied on God to provide Him guidance on how to handle temptation by the enemy.
Then, there were times when He knew the Father’s will and acted immediately- to heal the sick, comfort the brokenhearted, and revive the dead. But there were also times when He wondered if what He was doing was the right thing (Mathew 26).
But in the end, after Jesus prayed, He had perfect peace and absolute conviction that the Father had not only heard Him, but was paving the way for what would lead to the cross and the ultimate victory of His resurrection.
After Jesus prayed, He left.
As you pray, there will be times when you need to wait for clarity before you move. There will be times when you will want to do the opposite and attempt to leap tall buildings. And there will be times when you will wonder if you are hearing Him correctly because it seems too big or difficult.
But after you pray, listen for His direction, trust that He is already there, and once you find peace, know that it is time to leave and follow His lead.
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