I’M NOT OKAY - I’M FINE
(Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, emotional)
In Matthew, Mark and Luke we see Jesus at one of His lowest points. He was struggling with the death, pain, sorrow and anguish that He was about to endure through His death on the cross. We see in these passages that Jesus was pouring out His heart to the Lord and that though His friends were not able to be there for Him, He had strength from God to run towards this storm.
Even Jesus was not okay. While praying in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knows what He is about to endure and He is troubled so greatly that he says to His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Jesus knows that His time has come to die and that He will not only be dying but suffering beatings, abandonment from His disciples and the weight of all the sin of the world. He was not okay…
Does knowing that even Jesus, perfect in every way and all powerful, knowing and present, was not okay, give you peace/acceptance for yourself when you are not okay?
Jesus felt overwhelmed to the point of death. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed? If so, what did you do about it and what can you learn from what Jesus did about it?
Be honest and include your friends, be dependent on your Daddy. While Jesus is praying He tells His disciples to stay up and pray with Him and for Him that they might not fall into temptation, for He knows that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Right after this He goes further away to pray and when He returns the disciples are asleep. He wakes them asking them to pray again and then goes away to pray saying, “Abba, Father… everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Jesus is honest with His friends and He opens up to them, wanting them to stand by His side through what He is about to endure. Instead of praying, they are too tired and fall asleep and when His betrayer comes they are too weak to stay with Jesus and abandon Him.
When you are going through an overwhelming time do you reach out to those around you and ask for prayer or do you rely on yourself and keep it hidden?
Have you ever been in a circumstance where you did open up to someone about what you were going through and they disappointed you? Do you find comfort in knowing that Jesus went through the same thing?
Jesus knew that He needed to pray and talk to His Abba Father before enduring the cross and so when He prayed, He was personal with God, calling Him Daddy.
Do you come to God and pray to Him personally? He is your Abba, Daddy? Do you see Him like this? If not, why not?
Prayer empowers passion. Jesus’ passion was the cross, He endured pain and suffering all because He felt SO much passion and love to save His people. The only way He was able to endure this was through prayer. He prayed knowing all the stress and pain He was going to go through and it says in Luke 22:44, “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground”. Jesus was human and went through something so painful and overwhelming that all He could do was pray that He might be given the strength to endure it. While praying He was sweating ‘like drops of blood’, regardless of whether it was actual blood, this gives us an idea of how intense His feelings were.
Have you ever walked through something so difficult that you felt all you could do was pray? How did prayer help you face it?
Jesus had the strength to face His storm, death on the cross, because He was strengthened through prayer. As Judas, His betrayer, approached Jesus and His disciples, Jesus didn’t run and try to escape him, He walked towards him, facing, in strength, all He was about to endure.
When Jesus was praying it says He was strengthened by angels so He was thus able to run towards the storm instead of away. Do you run towards the storms of life or do you run away from them?
Are you consistent in prayer during tough times to be strengthened to face the storm? If not, why?
Make a Move: Even Jesus, our Savior, was not okay before His death on the cross. It is okay to not be okay sometimes, but we need to run to the Father in prayer during those times to be strengthened to face every storm that comes our way. Spend time in prayer this week about the storms that you are walking through, or running away from. Ask the Lord to strengthen you so that you can face all you go through with the same strength Jesus took to the cross.
Prayer Prompt: Abba, Father, we thank you that you are always with us and that you gave your Son as an example for us on what it looks like to walk through a storm and run right to it. We ask that you will give us the strength to face trials just like you did for Jesus. Please help us to rely on you to be our strength and help us to have faith that you will be enough for us. We love you Lord! Amen.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please don’t be afraid to speak up and seek help. Visit expectation.church/mental-health for a list of resources or reach out to one of our pastors.
Do you need prayer? Have feedback? Want to share something? Reach out to our staff.
Worship Set: Way Maker | Good Grace | Worthy | Have My Heart