And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began praying that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

How do you deal with stressful moments? Some people go for a long walk to think, others go to a friend, others try to escape these moments as they become overwhelming. The overall question that we wrestle with is, “Where do I turn?” Sin, brokenness, and pain have left their mark on creation, and we are all affected at some point or another. Whether it’s a lifelong struggle we endure or an unexpected tragedy, we all must answer this question. Jesus shows us the answer in His own distress: He turned to the Father and expressed the fullness of His grief in trust.

In moments of distress, questions, or navigating what’s next, it is always safe to turn to God. We can run to the Father who loves us, cares for us, and will see us through. Jesus’s moment of prayer wasn’t answered with rescue from the pain. In fact, God denied the request to remove this difficulty. Yet, Jesus knew the point of going to God was not to get the outcome He wanted but to go to the One who was completely in control and by His side through it all. Because of Jesus, we have the same opportunity when facing the questions of life. God can handle all your questions, frustrations, and emotions. Jesus endured hardship, pain, and shame of sin so that you can walk with God through your struggle like He did.

• When have you felt alone in a time of struggle? What causes you to hesitate to turn to God in these moments?
• When has God answered a prayer differently than you wanted? Why can we trust Him, even in these moments?
• Pray and talk to God about the difficult times you are facing. Ask Him to guide you through the hurt you carry.