Photograph of a stained glass
window at Trinity United
Methodist Church, Paris, TN.
Taken by Jolinne Downey, 2012.
The sanctuary was destroyed by
fire in April 2015.

  "Ask and it will be given to you." That's what Jesus tells his followers right at the very beginning of the gospel of Matthew (7:7-11). "Everyone who asks receives." So why didn't it work for Jesus? In Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus is clearly distraught. He is on his knees, with his face turned to heaven, and there is pain in his eyes as he cries out to God, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me." Jesus pours out his heart to God. "I know what's coming. We both do. They are gonna kill me. And I don't want to die! Please, God, isn't there another way? Please..." Jesus asked, and he was pretty clear. He did not want to die. And he was the Son of God, "the Beloved." The one who pleased God. Jesus asked for what he wanted, and God told him, "No." So what's the point? If prayer did not work for Jesus, then why should any of us pray?

  If you are one of those people who doesn't really "get" prayer, it may reassure you to know that prayer does not come easily to most of us. If you go to amazon.com, you can find over 100,000 books on prayer. So what is it about prayer that both fascinates and frustrates us?
  Simply put, prayer is about being in the presence of God, and that is an awe-inspiring thing. God is awesome in power. But God is also frustrating! Because we don't always understand God's ways. So prayer is about presence. We are ALWAYS in the presence of God, but prayer begins when we are AWARE of the presence of God. And that can happen ANYWHERE at ANY TIME. In his book "Everything Belongs", Richard Rohr states that prayer is not about saying the right words or even thinking words. Prayer is a stance. It is a posture. An attitude. It is a way of living in God's presence. Prayer is making room for God and finding joy in God's presence (page 300).
  Remember when your first child was born, and you thought you would fall to your knees in gratitude? Or the time you were out fishing on the lake, and you looked up into the most beautiful sunset that ever stretched across the sky? Or that time you were up at 2 am waiting for your boy to come home, and he did? Remember how you felt? That is prayer. Prayer begins when we realize that we are in the presence of an Almighty God, and this Mighty God cares DEEPLY about US. Prayer is about presence. And prayer is about assurance.
  Jesus did not want to die. He clearly asked God to find another way. Jesus was free to rebel against God's will. He did not go to the cross like some pre-programmed robot. He did not WANT to go, but he went. Because prayer changed him. Did you hear that? Jesus was changed as he spent time in prayer. When he went into that garden that night, Jesus was "grieved and agitated" (Matthew 26:37). He knew he was about to die, and he didn't like it one bit. So he began his evening of prayer asking God to find another way. Jesus knew what he wanted. He wanted to LIVE. But as much as he wanted to live, Jesus wanted more to please God. That's why he says, "Yet not what I want but what you want."
  It didn't happen immediately. Jesus did not suddenly change his mind and say, "Oh, it's okay if I go to the cross." No, he never WANTED to die. But he wanted to please God. Jesus wanted to please God more than anything. He wanted to please God more than he wanted to live. So, over the course of the evening, his prayer slowly changed. He no longer asks God to "let this cup pass from me." Instead, he prays, "If this cannot pass unless I drink it..." Prayer changed Jesus.
  Prayer gave Jesus a blessed assurance. Prayer brought peace. Prayer brought acceptance. Prayer brought trust. Prayer made it possible for Jesus to say, "Your will be done." Prayer made it possible for Jesus to go to the cross.
  Jesus trusted God, and even though he did not want to die, Jesus believed that God loved him. Jesus believed that God had a plan, and that it was a good plan, and that somehow God would make things right. And God did! Sure, in that moment, when he was in pain and agony on the cross, Jesus felt like he was all alone. His friends and family and all those adoring fans had fallen away and left him to suffer alone. But the resurrection of Christ shows us that God was with Jesus every step of the way. God DID have a plan. And it was a good plan. It was a plan to bless Jesus. And it was a plan to bless all the people of the world THROUGH Jesus. No, Jesus did not get what he asked for that evening in the garden. He got something better. Not easier, but better.
  Jesus taught his followers to ask God for what they wanted. God is a good and loving parent (7:7-11). God wants to give us good things. God will not be angry if we ask for what we want or need. In fact, God will give good things to those who ask for them. We may not get exactly what we ask for when we ask for it. But God will give us good things if we allow God to bless us. If we seek God's blessing, God will bless us. When we ask God for good things, we open ourselves up to receive God's blessing. We open ourselves up to the awesome power of God. And when we are open to God, then God can do all kinds of good things. God can do good things IN us and FOR us AND for the world.