“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.”
- Luke 22:41-43 -

In these verses, we see how much Jesus struggled to obey the will of God - the cross and His death - for the redemption of the world. He prayed till his sweat was like drops of blood. This prayer battle enabled Jesus to face His arrest and trial calmly and even His death on the cross. On the other hand, the disciples, especially Peter, who failed to pray, experienced complete defeat. Peter denied Jesus three times.

Jesus told the disciples to pray twice so that they will not fall into temptation (40, 46). We have many kinds of temptations. The strongest temptation is an easygoing life — a life without the cross. It was what Satan tempted Jesus with at the beginning of His public life (Lk 4:1-13). God's will for us is that we deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Jesus (Lk 9:23). Only can we overcome the devil's temptation by joining the Jesus' Gethsemane prayer and be filled with the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, give us the grace to deny myself and follow your will, even under the most pressing circumstances.