Daily Devotional For Sunday, November 1, 2026
Good morning Southside! I am following the One Year Chronological Bible reading suggestion and any Bible verses you see highlighted in bold (ex. John 3:16), means it is a link to that verse. All you have to do is click on the reference and it will take you to the verse online. Our daily devotional for today comes from the words of Jesus found in Mark 14:32-42. This is the story about when Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. His heart is so heavy that He is about to collapse.
“Gethsemane” means “oil press” and Jesus could feel the emotional and spiritual pressure already mounting on Him. The Bible says He became “deeply troubled and distressed.” That is an understatement. The Greek words were also used to mean “terrified.” Yes, Jesus was terrified of the “cup” He was about to drink from in a few hours.
He will soon in His prayer time begin to literally bleed through the pores of his skin. It is a real and rare medical condition called hematidrosis and it can be fatal. This happened to my own mother just prior to her own death on May 20, 1988. It occurs when the body is under so much extreme stress and anxiety that the body is in a fight or flight response.
Jesus left His inner circle of Peter, James and John and went off alone to pray. He knew the time for the “cup” He was supposed to drink had come. He initially asked God the Father if this cup of sin and wrath could be taken away. As the sin-bearer, it would not be possible since Jesus would have to bear all the sin and all of God’s wrath for all of humanity past, present and future. In all of that was unconditional submission to the Father’s will. It is clear from this that what steeled Jesus to go through with this was His prayer life.
Had these 3 disciples prayed as well, they would have been steeled as well. Instead, they all fell asleep. When Jesus found them sleeping He was kind to them – “The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” Two more times and on the third time, He informed them that His hour was at hand and He was about to be betrayed.
What this tells me is that Gethsemanes are inevitable for any obedient follower of Jesus. Betrayals are as well and should be expected. This is why all of us need to give ourselves to regular times of prayer each day. Saying grace at meals does not count. Prayer is a spiritual discipline. Some sadly see it as being legalistic and ritualistic. It is not. Legalism at its core is about making oneself better. Spiritual discipline is about pleasing the Lord.
The Apostle Paul was about spiritual discipline, not legalism. In 1 Timothy 4:7b, he wrote, “Instead, train yourself to be godly” (NLT). The Greek New Testament word for “train” is [γυμνάζω; gumnazō]. It is where we get our English word “gymnasium.” As disciples of Jesus, we must discipline ourselves with an athletic-like discipline, especially when it comes to prayer. Jesus, facing His worst crisis, prayed. Jesus, facing His worst crisis, asked others to pray for and with Him.
Reflection Assignment: When you face your own “Gethsemanes,” do you pray and do you get others to pray for and with you? Why or why not? Everyday the urgency of other responsibilities can crowd out the importance of prayer. How do you keep prayer important in your daily life? If you do not, how can you reorganize your daily schedule to make it so?
Scripture To Meditate On: Mark 10:27b, Jesus said, “Everything is possible with God” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I have to admit. My prayer life is not what it should be. If You needed to pray, how much more do I? Lord, I promise to set aside a time each time free of interruptions just to pray to You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly