He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed. Mark 14:35
Some Christians are satisfied with only a surface relationship with Christ. Others desire to share the holiest moments with Him. On the night Jesus spent in sacred prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the people responded to Him in various ways. There were those who were so indifferent to Jesus that they were unaware He was even in the garden. Then there was Judas, who knew where Jesus was but was too busy with his own schemes to join Him. The rest of the disciples joined Jesus in the garden, but they were distracted by sleep. Jesus told them the urgency of the hour, but they did not comprehend it. There was the inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John. They initially prayed with Jesus, yet even they could not grasp the significance of the moment. Ultimately, Jesus prayed alone. He went farther than His disciples and prayed longer. At the greatest moment of intercession in human history, there was no one willing to go with Jesus and watch with Him. Throughout history God has looked for those willing to yield everything to Him and His desire to redeem a world. At times God has marveled that no one was willing to go with Him (Isa. 63:5; 59:16). The prophets seemed to grasp more than the common people, for while society carried on as though nothing were wrong, the prophets agonized and wept over what they knew God was preparing to do. God is calling you to go deeper in your prayer life with Him. If you are willing to be the person Jesus can take with Him into the most sacred moments, you will experience things only the angels shared with Jesus in the garden that night. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
Two points in this one verse come to me. One is that Jesus wasn't all that much farther away, the Disciples saw Him. The second was that the event coming was of such magnitude that He fell to His knees rather than taking the time to kneel.
I am reminded of King Hezekiah's death bed plea. The prophet came because of his earnest, but eventually seen, self-serving prayer. It's answer went to his head, and had he been willing to die at his appointed time his murderous offspring wouldn't have existed.
There's been many times in my life where I have been on my knees. I willingly knelt, haven't fell to them, probably due to the surface I was on at the time. His was on dirt. I have had similarly turned over in my bed as Hezekiah and pleaded my case before my Savior. I am not the type to deny that there's many times in my life that situations are too great for me.
I awoke this morning to a song in my mind from Philips, Craig and Dean "The Revelation Song". It's a powerful song of God and what we look forward to in His return.
I try to live for Jesus in each day that I open my eyes. Yet also I live with the expectation that at any moment I WILL hear that shout from on high telling me to come up to be forever with Jesus.
To be on your knees before Jesus, praying in the name of the Father is a rich blessing. Only our life choices can block our prayers. Many live some intentionally sinful lives and think in their spirit numbed state that their prayers are being heard. Intentional sin puts up a wall between ourselves and God that's of our own creation. God cannot reward disobedient children. We must let go of self to receive what Jesus has to bring to us. Self-justification is perhaps the greatest temptation we face. We justify our sins before God, but I promise you, in that day we truly stand before Christ no amount of any explanation for it will be accepted for what we refused to let go of concerning intentional sin. It will always come back to "What did I say about that in My Word that I left for You?"
On our knees, or falling to our knees, is indeed the most humbling of postures.
We often find Churches that don't practice foot washing as Jesus said to do as part of Communion. It's to be a meal, to be the foot washing then the bread and cup. In a foot washing someone is willingly in a humble position before you, just as in Christ's example, to wash your feet. Jesus commanded we do that. It's a shame all of the professing Church isn't doing it. We live in a prideful world, a surefire cure for pride is acts we do to be humble.
I have shared on other occasions my experience in a play where I was a Disciple in a reenactment of the Lord's Supper. I, to this day, have my breath taken away as I was given the visual God gave me. To be almost arguing with 'Jesus' about His washing MY feet. That He would humbly do this when He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It gives me goosebumps.
When was the last time you really were brought to your knees? When was the last time you put your pride aside before you began praying? There's really no excuse not to be on your knees before Jesus short of physical limitations.
In Heaven we see in Revelation where many fall to their knees in worship.
Why wait til then? Why not follow Christ's example? Fool not yourselves. Quit making excuses for your sins in your life. Your desires can't compare with what you would get from Jesus if only you let go and let God do what He does.
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