Have you ever wondered if, when or why God answers or doesn’t answer our prayers? These can be tough questions, especially during times when our heartfelt cries seem to echo in silence. In moments of frustration, we may even find ourselves wrestling with profound issues such as: “Why did God allow this to happen,” or “Does prayer even matter?”

These questions and their answers are often complex and emotional. Together, we are going to focus on an incident where it appears that even Jesus’ prayers were not answered. Stay with us till the end, for we’re about to witness the power of prayer in an entirely new light.

To begin let’s first and briefly turn to two instances where Jesus’ prayers were answered.

One remarkable example is when Jesus took just five loaves of bread and two fish from a young boy, lifted his gaze towards heaven in prayer, and offered a blessing before sharing that food to feed a crowd of 5000.

Similarly, before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus prayed saying, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me,” (John 11:1-44). It was a declaration of his connection with God, and in response to his prayer, Lazarus walked out of his tomb, even though he had been dead for three days.

But for our purposes today, let’s concentrate on a time when it appears Jesus’ prayers were NOT answered.  Here we’ll go to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray when he was arrested.  

From the text itself, we wouldn’t know if the garden was on a hilltop, if it was surrounded by buildings, or perhaps it was right next to the giant walls of Jerusalem.  And in regard to unanswered prayers, these facts are vital to our discussion.

So, I’d like you to picture two giant hills, almost like small mountains standing side by side.  One hill is called Mount Zion, and it is crowned by the imposing castle-like walls that surround the city of Jerusalem. The other hill is called the Mount of Olives because its’ slopes are filled with olive trees.  Nestled at the gently sloping base of the Mount of Olives, lies the Garden of Gethsemane, just a fifteen-minute downhill stroll from the walls of Jerusalem.

Now that we understand Gethsemane’s location, there is absolutely no doubt that anyone standing in that garden would naturally look out and across the valley.   And there, Jesus would have seen the towering walls of Jerusalem and above those walls – he would have seen the temple.

With all this in mind, imagine being Jesus – praying all alone in the dark. There was probably very little light except for the moon shining on the silhouette of the city walls.  It would have been quiet and still while Jesus prayed.

So imagine him praying while seeing the giant city gates open across the valley. And he kept praying while he watched as Roman soldiers marched out these gates with their lanterns and torches. He continued to pray as he saw them line up in attention. He prayed while his disciples slept. And all alone, Jesus continued to pray while the sins and weight of the whole world marched in military fashion, down the hill and directly toward him. He prayed knowing the soldiers were coming for him.  And he continued to pray knowing full well what would happen next.  

Yes, Jesus prayed. . . He had fallen face down before God to pray – and we can only imagine the agony and earnestness inside his words, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mat 26:39).

No wonder Jesus sweat blood while he prayed.  

Amazingly, all he had to do to escape, was simply walk a few steps back into the dark woods. But with raw courage and enough love to die for you and me, Jesus stayed put and continued to pray.

There is no doubt – absolutely none – that Jesus did not want to suffer.  He had witnessed crucifixions and seen mangled corpses hanging from crosses as he walked through Israel.  These crosses of death – deliberately placed next to public roads – were graphic and horrid reminders – saying this is what will happen to you if you mess with Rome.

At first glance, it’s natural to think Jesus’ prayer was not answered as the soldiers marched toward him, arrested, falsely accused, ridiculed, tortured and killed him with the most violent death that Rome could inflict.

Certainly, none of the twelve disciples could grasp the enormity of what happened to their leader, their Savior, their Jesus – the one they had placed their hope in.  Instead, these disciples hid in a room, terrified of a Roman knock on their door and there can be no doubt how they wondered, “What good could possibly come of this?”  

And just like when our prayers seem unanswered, with utter dismay they must have muttered, “How could God have allowed this to happen?”

Which brings this story back to you and me two thousand years later.  Unlike the disciples who were living in the moment of agony, we already know the rest of the story!  

Thus, with perfect 20/20 hindsight, we can only praise God that we get to see what really happened. Instead of being in dismay, we get to say, “Of course!  Of course, Jesus didn’t want to suffer.  Of course, Jesus could have escaped by simply walking into those dark woods.  Of course, God gave Jesus free choice.”  

This was the only way Jesus could possibly feel the total impact of choosing to become fully separated from God.  It is in retrospect that we understand how Jesus took on our full punishment that we deserve as he was utterly and completely abandoned by God.  No wonder Jesus cried in agony in his last words, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me!” Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46

There is no doubt that Jesus prayed to escape this horrible death sentence. But so much more than that he prayed to have the strength to follow God’s will. And follow it he did.

When we pray by laying our hopes and fears before God, and humbly add the pivotal phrase, ‘Thy will be done,’ we do the same thing Jesus did.  We exchange our limited understanding for God’s infinite wisdom.  This transformation can instill a newfound courage within us, when we realize that we are no longer navigating life’s challenges alone. As we align ourselves with God’s will, our prayers become a partnership between our desires and God’s divine plan.

Perhaps today we can ask ourselves if our prayers are really an attempt to manipulate or control some kind of “genie in a bottle?”   Or do we ask the true God for strength and courage to follow his will?  Do we pray knowing that God is God, and we are not?  Do we pray, thankful for God’s big-ness as we realize how little we truly are?

Like Jesus’ prayer, when we pray to follow God’s will, that’s when we will truly gain insight and resolution.  We may never know the reasons for our suffering, or why some prayers seem to go unanswered, but we can always gain strength as we trust in God.

Let’s pray right now. . . Dear Father, please bless us today with raw courage like Jesus had.  Bless us with your love so we have your power do the right things today.  Bless us to be able to search your will.  To do your will.  Help us to be like you.