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.”

What is God’s will for my life? This is a question so many people wrestle with, and never seem to find the answer to. In this day and time, what does it mean to follow Jesus? This is what the disciples were about to learn (and learn through the fire). While they were focused on sleep, Jesus was focused on his mission. While they were sleeping, Jesus, likely more worn out than they were, asked for release from his task, but prayed first that God’s will would be done. And while they were still sleeping, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus.

What I find fascinating here is not so much that the disciples slept (they were clearly tired), but that they did not think to support Jesus in his time of need. They were being selfish. I also notice that God rewarded the faithfulness of his Son to pray to him in his time of need — he sent an angel to strengthen him.

The temptation is to go back to what is comfortable to us (sleep) when our faith is stretched. Instead, Jesus was all in with God; he leaned into prayer during this stretching time (or time of trial) and he was rewarded for it.

Lord, teach me to not panic or seek out comfort when serving you seems insurmountable, but instead to lean into you in prayer and trust you that you will sustain me through the trial.