Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
From: The Life Application Study Bible
7 “While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the ONE who could deliver Him out of death. And GOD heard His prayers because of His reverence for GOD. 8 So even though Jesus was GOD’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. 9 In this way, GOD qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey HIM. 10 And GOD designated Him to be a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek.” ~ Hebrews 5:7-10
Have you ever felt as though GOD was not hearing your prayers? We all have at one time or another. But, we must remember to be sure we are praying with reverent submission, willing to do what GOD wants. GOD responds to HIS obedient children.
Jesus’ human life was not a script that He passively followed. It was a life that He freely chose. – 17 “The Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may have it back again. 18 No one can take My life from Me. I lay down My life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For My Father has given Me this command.” – John 10:17-18 – Jesus’ death and resurrection, as part of GOD’s plan for the salvation of the world, were under GOD’s full control. No one could kill Jesus without His consent. It was a continuous process of making the will of GOD the Father His own. Jesus chose to obey, even though obedience led to suffering and death. Because Jesus obeyed perfectly, even under great trial, He can help us obey, no matter how difficult obedience seems to be.
Christ was always morally perfect. By obeying, He demonstrated His perfection to us, not GOD or Himself. In the Bible, the word perfect usually means completeness or maturity. By sharing our experience of suffering, Christ shared our human experience completely. – 7 “He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on the cross.” – Philippians 2:7-8 – How amazing is it that the perfect man should die this most shameful death so that we would not have to face eternal punishment! He is now able to offer eternal salvation to those of us who obey Him.
Father GOD help us to know and understand what true submission and obedience really means so that we may pray with a right heart. So many times LORD, we pray for things and do not understand what they mean or what the consequences of our prayers may be. Help us to not pray the popular phrases we hear, but to pray honestly and fervently from our hearts in our own words.
Photo: Memorial Church (1907) (Jamestown, Virginia)
Photo By: Lisa K Gonzales
Click on the photo to enlarge
