The Garden and the Glory
06/18/2025
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
- Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)
When we think of Jesus, we often envision the miracles, the authority, the resurrection. But in today’s verse, We are invited into a quieter, more intimate place: the moments of deep prayer and desperation Jesus experienced during His time on earth.
This verse echoes the haunting beauty of the Garden of Gethsemane. There, beneath the olive trees, Jesus, fully divine yet fully human, fell to the ground in anguish. Luke tells us His sweat was like drops of blood. He cried out, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) It is this image that Hebrews recalls. Jesus pleading with the Father, not just once but with “fervent cries and tears.”
What does it mean that He “was heard”? After all, the cup was not removed. The cross still stood in His path. But this verse shows us that being heard by God is not always the same as being rescued from our circumstances. Jesus was heard because of His reverent submission, His willing surrender to the Father’s will.
Many of us pray hoping for a specific answer: healing, rescue, breakthrough. And sometimes, God grants that. But there are other times when He answers not with escape, but with endurance. Jesus’ example shows us that the deepest power in prayer is not found in the outcome, but in the surrender. His strength was not in avoiding the cross but in walking through it, knowing the Father was with Him.
I sat with my mother who was dying from a rare disease. With a tear-stained face, I asked God to heal her in what ever way He chose. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. While He gave me peace during her illness, He never left. I was heard. Through her salvation she was healed. Let this remind you that in our deepest valleys, heaven bends down to listen.
Here are some things to help you on your journey.
Set aside 15 minutes today to pray honestly, no filters, just raw honesty with God.
Reflect on a time when you prayed and felt heard, even if the answer wasn’t what you expected.
Write down what surrender means in your life right now. What is your “cup” that you might need to accept?
My challenge for you is this:
Don’t run from the garden moments. Embrace them. In your tears and cries, know that Jesus has been there, and He has made a way for you to find strength not in escape, but in reverent submission.
Father, thank You for hearing the cries of Jesus, and mine. Teach me what it means to submit with trust, even when the answer is not what I longed for. Let me find You in the garden, and walk with courage through whatever lies ahead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
- Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)
When we think of Jesus, we often envision the miracles, the authority, the resurrection. But in today’s verse, We are invited into a quieter, more intimate place: the moments of deep prayer and desperation Jesus experienced during His time on earth.
This verse echoes the haunting beauty of the Garden of Gethsemane. There, beneath the olive trees, Jesus, fully divine yet fully human, fell to the ground in anguish. Luke tells us His sweat was like drops of blood. He cried out, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) It is this image that Hebrews recalls. Jesus pleading with the Father, not just once but with “fervent cries and tears.”
What does it mean that He “was heard”? After all, the cup was not removed. The cross still stood in His path. But this verse shows us that being heard by God is not always the same as being rescued from our circumstances. Jesus was heard because of His reverent submission, His willing surrender to the Father’s will.
Many of us pray hoping for a specific answer: healing, rescue, breakthrough. And sometimes, God grants that. But there are other times when He answers not with escape, but with endurance. Jesus’ example shows us that the deepest power in prayer is not found in the outcome, but in the surrender. His strength was not in avoiding the cross but in walking through it, knowing the Father was with Him.
I sat with my mother who was dying from a rare disease. With a tear-stained face, I asked God to heal her in what ever way He chose. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. While He gave me peace during her illness, He never left. I was heard. Through her salvation she was healed. Let this remind you that in our deepest valleys, heaven bends down to listen.
Here are some things to help you on your journey.
Set aside 15 minutes today to pray honestly, no filters, just raw honesty with God.
Reflect on a time when you prayed and felt heard, even if the answer wasn’t what you expected.
Write down what surrender means in your life right now. What is your “cup” that you might need to accept?
My challenge for you is this:
Don’t run from the garden moments. Embrace them. In your tears and cries, know that Jesus has been there, and He has made a way for you to find strength not in escape, but in reverent submission.
Father, thank You for hearing the cries of Jesus, and mine. Teach me what it means to submit with trust, even when the answer is not what I longed for. Let me find You in the garden, and walk with courage through whatever lies ahead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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