Hebrews 5: 7, 8 “…in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who is able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
Dear God,
You truly anchor my mind and emotions. Within Your perpetual care, I thank You for filling me with Your peace when I ask; with the assurance that I can lay all before You in prayer, prayers for myself and others, activities, our needs, crisis events and all will be heard and answered according to Your wisdom. You will also direct me upon Your pathway, and keep me safe.
Paul uses the analogy of the High priest in the Israelite temple to further expand upon Christ and His role in the Heavenly temple. The High priest of the earthly temple represented the people in matters pertaining to God. He was a sinful human person, as were all the people who attended the temple. Like all humans, he needed God in his life by obediently humbling himself before You, and to pray often to be able to live a godly life representing You. A High priest was not to decide for himself to be a priest, but was called to the office by God. The Son of God, Christ did not decide for Himself to be High Priest, though He was worthy for the office. He was called by God, V 5 “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’”
Please teach me Your earthly child to await Your calling for me to accept positions in Your church and work, so we can follow the example of our Saviour, Jesus, as each day He allowed You to plan His day. Whilst He lived upon earth in human flesh, in no way did Jesus presume on You, for I read, that all through His time here on earth, Jesus offered up earnest prayers and supplications for strength not to sin. For in the text above we read, that in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed with ‘vehement cries and tears” to You, Father God, who alone was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His godly fear. I understand during the time Jesus came to earth in human form on His salvation mission for mankind; even though Jesus was Your own Son, His obedience to You, His Father, had to be tested by suffering and eventual death, because many of God’s earthly children have and will also be persecuted and put to death in the name of Jesus, down to His second coming. Satan who hates Christ and His followers, once started on his rebellion toward God, the Father and Jesus, His son, could stop being evil and cruel and incites all suffering and causes all death on earth!
I wonder how it is possible, that many of us sinful humans think that we can be Your true children and spend so little time in heart-felt prayer and supplication. Forgive me Lord, for those times in my experience and continue to impress me to pray throughout each day.
Amen