The Power of Prayer [8-16-26]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yzud2yLFUg?si=91cLlIDCk6GSzrh5

August 16, 2026

Luke 22:39-53

“The Power of Prayer”

The Temple in Jerusalem was called the house of prayer. As reported by Luke, did Jesus ever pray in the Temple? No he did not. He taught in the Temple. But never prayed there. Today’s passage lifts up the significant place where Jesus prays. The Mount of Olives. These verses mark the finishing touches on Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. They will learn from him how to pray in the face of severe testing.

Here, now, is Luke 22:39-53:

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, 

and the power of darkness.”

Here’s what Isaiah prophesied about our Lord:

For he grew up before him like a young plant,    and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,    and no beauty that we should desire him.He was despised and rejected by men,    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

• Isaiah 53:2-3

We see this play out throughout the ministry of our Savior. He grieves over people who exhibit a hardness of heart. He grieves over human suffering. He grieves over misguided leaders. He grieves over people being led astray. Especially poignant is when he stands at the grave of his friend Lazarus and weeps. Powerful expressions of Jesus’ love and compassion.

Remember…placement is everything. When does today’s teaching about 

prayer happen? The last night of Jesus’ earthly life. Important time. Significant moment. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you say to your loved ones today? What pearls of wisdom would you pass on? What would you want them to know and understand? Something to think about, right?

Here Jesus teaches on the power of prayer. Specifically, he spells out the singularly most important reason to have an active prayer life. It’s something you might want to write down:

INTENSE PRAYER GUARDS AGAINST THE DANGER OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL AND BUILDS PERSEVERANCE.

We have to deepen and broaden our understanding of prayer.

Now, don’t misunderstand. What I’m about to say isn’t intended do 

detract from the breadth and depth of our prayer lives. We pray for all kinds of things. Which is one of the cautionary points to make. We pray for things. For jobs. For something to go our way. For an event to end up in a way most beneficial to us. For a cause for worry to go away. For healing. For resolution to some sort of conflict or another. And on and on and on.

When we’re honest with ourselves, many times our prayer lives make it look like we think God is our Great Vending Machine in the Sky. Here’s what I desire, want, or need. Can you make it happen? 

Remember what’s happening in these final hours of Jesus’ earthly life. Satan doesn’t want Jesus to go to the cross. Satan did not kill Jesus on the cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is God’s chosen sacrifice to take away the sins of the world for all the world to see. Jesus is God’s preordained, predetermined substitute for sinners. This is God’s determining will.

So what is Jesus teaching us about prayer? In this moment…verse 53 calls it “the hour of darkness”…this is the determined time for the greatest battle. On the cross, Satan will be defeated. Sin and death will be vanquished. They will never again hold sway over the people of God. Again, as Paul says in Romans 8:28-30:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

On the cross, Jesus wins the battle for our salvation. And so, before it happens, he prepares himself for the battle with prayer. Amen?

In light of all that is swirling around him, what is the greatest concern of our Savior in these opening verses? The answer is right there in verse 40:

And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 

In the midst of his upcoming trials, right here, right now, Jesus is most concerned about his disciples. And we should not be surprised.

Here’s a sidenote, which is a huge hint about the overall purpose of this teaching on prayer:

PRAYER ESTABLISHES ROOTS THAT STRENGTHEN AND NURTURE US.

That’s the point about where Jesus is praying. Olive trees have strong and sturdy roots. They are highly effective and efficient at absorbing moisture and nutrients. That’s what prayer establishes in our lives.

God is not our heavenly vending machine. God is our Mighty Fortress who strengthens us so we can hope, believe, and endure all things. There is power in the name of Jesus. And we need that power to persevere through the struggles, trials, and tribulations of life.

Jesus is completely aware of his disciples. He knows their struggles. He is always teaching. Jesus is always compassionate. In the face of his own agony, Jesus is going to teach us how to face ours. Truly an amazing presence.

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at four vital elements of prayer 

Jesus passes on to us in the Mount of Olives.

First of all, prayer anticipates that we will be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. As the Bible reminds us, he was in all ways tempted like we are, yet without sin. We need a strong anchor in order to withstand evil. If we are going to grow into the kinds of people God created us to be, we need to resist evil. Amen? It’s no surprise that we sometimes struggle in life because the power of evil is so strong in us. So pray…pray to resist.

In light of that, here’s something else you really, really, really do want to write down:

PRAYER IS DESIGNED TO MAKE GOD’S WILL KNOWN TO US, NOT TO MAKE OUR WILL KNOWN TO GOD.

Notice what I don’t say there. Right…that the primary purpose of prayer is to ask God for stuff. This is a huge point. When we understand it, I will shape our prayer lives. We’ll get to it in a moment.

We anticipate temptation will strike at any time. So we pray to resist.

Second, we pray in our affliction. Did I say life it rough? Of course it is. 

It’s not pessimistic to understand that. Here’s something Christian writer 

and speaker William A. Ward once said:

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”

Prayer anchors us in the reality that life is sometimes difficult. We hurt. We experience loss. Prayer gets us through. Prayer reminds us that no matter what we experience or go through in life, all will be well. Jesus is with us. We are never alone. That’s the power of the cross. Nothing in life can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As we love to sing:

'Til on that cross as Jesus diedThe wrath of God was satisfiedFor every sin on Him was laidHere in the death of Christ I live

Prayer adjusts our sails. We can hope and endure all things because Jesus died on the cross. Here’s how Charles Spurgeon captured it:

“Too many people write their blessings in the sand but engrave their sorrows in marble’”

Do you hear it? Bring your joys and blessings to God in prayer. Make those 

the first things you focus on. Anchor your heart in your blessings. That’s how you adjust your sails. Hold on to the joys and blessings. Turn the sorrows over to God.

Third, Jesus models submission. Remember what he said:

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

What do some people do sometimes when they pray? They ask God for one thing or another, and then, when they don’t get what they think they want or need, they act angry or disappointed. They think that, somehow, God has let them down. I can’t begin to imagine seeing a relationship with God like that.

Listen to 1 John 5:14-15:

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

What’s the key there? “According to his will.” If what I’m praying for doesn’t happen, then it’s not within the Father’s will. We ask to know God’s will and to do God’s will. That’s the foundational truth of submission. Besides, regardless of what happens in this life, Jesus has secured our eternity with him in heaven. That’s the most important piece to have in 

place.

The final piece to a healthy prayer life is restoration. As verse 43 tells us, 

an angel appeared to Jesus, strengthening him. In other words, this is a statement of the Father’s care for Jesus. So what does that mean for us? God is caring for us, in all things…through all things. Even darkness cannot overcome you. When you know that, your faith remains strong.

Prayer restores our hearts and minds so that we become more than conquerors through him who loves us. Under the power of prayer, we don’t have to let grief torment us. Under hurt and pain, we don’t have to shrink back. In Christ, after his example, we can be fearless. We can be positive. We can be brave in all things. Even death.

Let’s pray:

HEAVENLY FATHER, MAY WE EMBRACE THE PRAYER LIFE MODELED BY JESUS AS WE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF TEMPTATION. THANK YOU FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST, WHO TURNED TROUBLE INTO TRIUMPH FOR US. FILL OUR HEARTS WITH LOVE FOR HIM, A LOVE SHOWN IN OBEDIENCE. WE WANT TO LIVE TO HIS GLORY. HE DIED TO EMBRACE ALL SINNERS, THAT SOME MIGHT BE SAVED. THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT JESUS WAS MADE SIN SO THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE RIGHTEOUS. AMEN.