Hebrews 5:7-10

Hebrews 5:7-10 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

How fervent are our prayers? How often do we offer up such prayers? Have our prayers been diluted by the rationality of our minds because we say as some do that things continue as they have in the past; therefore, why should we pray passionately, with undo fervor? Jesus prayed with intense, visceral passion. He understood his mission; He knew his life would end violently. He realized that the price He would pay for sin was his life. His prayer in the garden was so physical and intense that he sweat blood. Many times in scriptures we find Jesus prayed long and passionately. In the garden his disciples failed Jesus by falling asleep rather than praying. Perhaps they thought their prayers would not help Jesus that much, and feeling no real need to pray for themselves, they fell asleep. They really did not understand Jesus was fighting against the flesh and the devil himself, for the devil desired to thwart the plan of God by aborting God's mission for Jesus. Jesus desired the disciples to pray that night, for He knew what was coming. He wanted them to pray in preparation for the immediate future, but the disciples did not see the urgency or need to pray. They fell asleep; consequently, they were not ready for the events of that night.

If Jesus prayed fervently, so should we. We deceive ourselves if we think our prayers should not be fervent. We also deceive ourselves if we think the cares and entertainments of the world should hold a bigger place in our lives than our prayer life, our daily communion with God. If we live primarily for the world and all it offers, how can we expect God to validate such worldliness with quick answers to our often silent prayers? How often do we come fervently before the Lord, praying prostrate before his face? Have our fleshly pursuits and desires so gripped our souls that we lack time for God? Are our prayers brief whispers or are they the sincere cries of our hearts? People in the midst of a life-threatening flood or in a bloody foxhole of death cry out loudly to the Lord. Even unbelievers pray earnestly when caught in horrendous danger. Christians should pray in faith believing, for we are strangers and aliens in this hostile land in need of God's grace, guidance, and protection. As people in foxholes and floods, we need deliverance. We should not call the world, this poison patch existence that attempts to kill our faith, our home, our abiding place.

We read in Hebrews that Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears. Pentecostals and even mainline Christians used to have regular prayer sessions where they followed Christ's example. Dedicated children of God offered up prayers with loud cries, sometimes with joy and often in tears to the One who saved them and gave them new life. God answered their petitions, delivered them from sin, healed their bodies, and sometimes He said, not now. Today, even in many pentecostal meetings, that kind of fervent prayer might disturb some of the participants. They might wonder why people were so emotional or even question the theology of the passionate petitioners. Why pray with so much intensity when God hears our very thoughts? But we know in the scriptures JESUS ALWAYS DID THE WILL OF THE FATHER, ALWAYS HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD, and He prayed fervently, earnestly. He petitioned God loudly. As God's beloved children, should there not be times when we petition him with the passion of Christ? Should we not rejoice in the Lord as Paul suggested, maybe shouting God's praises as loudly as we extol the football hero? Our hands should clap louder in praise of our Lord than for movie stars and famous singers. Maybe at times we should abandon our well-controlled prayers and from our innermost beings allow the Holy Spirit to cry out to the Father. Just maybe, we should pray and live as Christ prayed and lived. Let's give it a try.