Read
Matthew 26:36-45, Luke 22:39-46
After having spent the evening dining with His disciples and teaching them a very real lesson in humility, Jesus heads out to the Garden of Gethsemane, which is a garden that sits right at the base of the Mount of Olives. This particular garden was a place of habit for Jesus and it is here that He partakes in a habit that He practiced frequently while also encouraging His disciples to do: prayer.
Jesus' prayer in the Garden is one in which He asks for God's deliverance from the task He is about to undertake. We have to be careful not to read this as Jesus wanting to shirk His responsibilities. Jesus knows what He has to do and that this is the only way to really deal with the problem. Yet that doesn't mean that He should look forward to the suffering He is about to endure.
After having spent some time in prayer, Jesus approaches His three closest disciples: Peter, James, and John. He's asked them to stay awake with Him, but they can't help but fall asleep. Three times Jesus comes back to them, hoping that they will see the anguish He is in and stand vigil with Him. Each time, though, He is disappointed.
Take some time and answer the following questions:
What is the trap that Peter, James, and John fell into in the Garden? How could they have combatted this?
What work has Jesus called you into (like He called Peter, James, and John to pray with Him) that you have been putting off? How can you remedy that?
What can you sacrifice today that is keeping you from staying true to what Jesus has called you to? Is it one less hour of sleep so you can spend it in Scripture and prayer?