“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.” (James 5:13–15 NLT)

Jesus retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane for one reason. It wasn’t to hide from His enemies. It wasn’t to spend quality time with His disciples. Jesus went there to pray. Knowing that, in a matter of hours, He would submit to unimaginable physical, emotional, and spiritual agony, Jesus wanted to spend His remaining hours of freedom in the presence of His Father.

The circumstances were unique, but the discipline wasn’t. The Gospels record several instances in which Jesus set aside time for prayer. Mark 1:35 says, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (NLT).

Luke 5:15–16 says, “But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (NLT).

Jesus understood the power of prayer, and He wants us to understand it as well. When we find ourselves in trying circumstances, often the temptation is to strike out at those we hold responsible. Or to get mad at God for allowing those circumstances to disrupt our lives. Or to wallow in self-pity.

But those are things the devil wants us to do because he knows how counterproductive they are. When we’re afflicted, when we’re suffering, or when we’re in trouble, prayer should be our first response, just as it was for Jesus. Why? Well, for one thing, God may answer our prayer and remove the problem from our life. He may directly intervene in our circumstances. The Bible is filled with stories in which He did just that.

Even if He doesn’t intervene immediately, He still works in and through us when we take our needs to Him. Prayer affirms our dependence on Him. It puts us in a right relationship with Him. It also allows us to place our burdens in His hands. When we turn our requests over to God, we can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that He will be doing the heavy lifting. Through prayer we also receive the grace we need to endure trouble and grow closer to God.

James 5:13–15 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven” (NLT). The word suffering could be translated “in trouble” or “in distress.” Is anyone among you in trouble? Are you distressed? Then you should pray.

When the bottom drops out, when you feel as though you’re hanging by a thread, when circumstances seem to grow worse by the minute, pray. Pray when you’re afflicted. Pray when you’re sick. Pray when you need forgiveness. Pray when specific needs occur. Pray for God’s will to be done.

Just like Jesus did in Gethsemane.

Reflection question: How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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 “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” (Mark 14:34 NLT)

As the hour of Jesus’ crucifixion approached, the enormity of what He was about to do—of what He was about to endure—weighed heavily on the Lord. He retreated to an olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives, a place called Gethsemane. There He agonized, pleaded, and prayed. Though He brought along His closest companions, He was utterly alone. According to Mark 14:34, “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’” (NLT). No one else could begin to fathom the suffering and separation that lay ahead for Him.

In the coming week, we’re going to look at the events that unfolded during those hours in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Perfect Sacrifice submitted Himself to God’s plan of salvation. And we’re going to start with the very real, and very relatable, emotions that sent Jesus to the garden in the first place.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah offered this description of Him: “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT). Jesus felt every bit of that sorrow, that grief, that rejection, that sense of being despised and uncared for during His time in Gethsemane.

Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through when He agonized at Gethsemane.

But that understanding is a two-way street. And there’s the takeaway from today’s devotion. Our experiences allow us to empathize, even if it’s only to a small degree, with what Jesus went through. Likewise, His experiences allow Him to empathize with what we go through.

Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully human. He felt joy, pain, hunger, thirst, rejection, betrayal, and grief. He asked God if there was any other way for the plan of salvation to be accomplished—one that didn’t involve His suffering. He can relate to us on the deepest levels. That makes Him the perfect Source to turn to in any and every situation.

The author of Hebrews explained it this way: “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:14–16 NLT).

No matter what situation we face, we can approach the Lord with confidence, knowing that He will provide the comfort, wisdom, direction, or healing we need.

Reflection question: How can Jesus empathize and help you with a situation you’re facing now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT)

A Christian father who was terminally ill called his three sons to his bedside. To his two sons who were believers, he said, “Goodbye, my sons. I will see you in the morning.” Turning to his third son, he simply and sadly said, “Goodbye, my son.”

The young man was deeply disturbed. He said, “Father, why is it you said to my brothers, ‘I will see you in the morning,’ and you only said to me, ‘Goodbye, my son’? Why didn’t you say you would see me in the morning, too?”

His father replied, “Son, you have never asked Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Savior and Lord. And that is what breaks my heart the most. I will never see you again.” That son began to ask his father how he could be saved, how he could see his father again. His father told him how. The son prayed and received Christ into his life. Then his father said, “Now our family will be together in eternity.”

That can happen for everyone who has put their faith in Christ. It will be a great reunion one day in the future. But what does the unbeliever have to look forward to? Judgment after death and a miserable, empty life on earth. There might be some fun in sin—for a while. But payday comes. The hard truth about eternal life is found in the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death” (NLT).

That’s why believers are called to share the gospel far and wide, as the Christian father in the story did with his son. In what’s known as the Great Commission, Jesus gave His followers these instructions: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT).

Eternal life is the hope believers cling to when the things of this life start to overwhelm us. There’s a reason that John 3:16 is perhaps the best-known passage in all of Scripture. Jesus’ words to Nicodemus still resonate powerfully today: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).

If you do not commit your life to Christ, ultimately you will look back on your life and realize that you wasted it. But don’t wait until the end of your life to figure that out. Figure it out now.

Reflection question: Who in your life needs to hear the hard truth about eternity? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

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“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT)

I heard a story about a couple who visited a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various crosses, the woman commented, “I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?”

That’s what many people want today: a cross without Jesus. They want a cross without any offense—one that will look cool with their outfits. But the hard truth is that if we could travel back in time and see the cross in its original context, we would realize that it was a bloody and vile symbol. It would have been the worst picture imaginable to see someone hanging on a cross.

The Romans chose crucifixion because it was meant to be a slow, torturous way to die. It was designed to humiliate a person. The crucifixions outside Roman cities served as warnings to anyone who would dare oppose the rule of Rome.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). In other words, salvation and eternal life can be found only through Him. Many people today object to His words. They see John 14:6 as a statement of exclusivity and narrow-mindedness. But Jesus was simply explaining God’s plan of salvation.

Humankind’s decision to disobey God and pursue sin created an existential crisis with only one solution. To satisfy God’s perfect justice and wrath, a perfect sacrifice had to be offered in our place. Someone who had never sinned had to die in the place of everyone else who had. Only Jesus lived a sinless life. Only He had the power to conquer death. So, only He could save us.

If there had been any other way, do you think that God would have allowed His Son to suffer like that? If there had been any other way that we could have been forgiven, then God surely would have found it.

Jesus Himself prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). He was talking about the cross and the unimaginable suffering that lay ahead. But God did not take it away from Him because there was no other way.

If living a good, moral life could get us to Heaven, then Jesus never would have died for us. But He did die. He had to pay the price for our sin. At the cross, Jesus purchased the salvation of the world.

If you ever were tempted to doubt God’s love for you, even for a moment, then take a long, hard look at the cross. Nails did not hold Jesus to that cross; His love did.

Reflection question: How would you explain Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and God’s plan of salvation to an unbeliever? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

In her remarkable book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom relates an amazing story about the importance of being thankful. Corrie and her sister Betsie were held in a concentration camp known as Ravensbrück, where they lived in barracks that were plagued by fleas. Fleas were everywhere—in their hair and on their bodies. One day Betsie told Corrie they needed to give thanks for the fleas.

Corrie thought Betsie had gone too far. She couldn’t imagine thanking God for fleas. But Betsie insisted, reminding her sister that 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances” (NLT). Still, Corrie didn’t want to thank God for the fleas. But as it turned out, Corrie and Betsie were trying to reach the other women in their barracks with the message of the gospel, and they had been holding Bible studies. They found out later that because of the fleas, the guards would not go into those barracks, and therefore, the women were able to have their Bible studies. As a result, they had the freedom to minister to numerous women. So, God can use even fleas.

If the Bible said, “Be thankful in some circumstances,” I would say, “No problem there!” But it says, “Be thankful in all circumstances.” And that’s not an easy thing to do. Yet it’s necessary because “this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” It’s also beneficial.

Our attitude does, in fact, impact our circumstances. Being thankful won’t change events that have occurred, and it won’t prevent trials and suffering from coming our way. But when we lead with a spirit of thankfulness and joy, we change our relationship to our circumstances. We see them in a different light. We see them in the context of the big picture of God’s faithfulness.

This isn’t simply a matter of choosing to be a “glass half full” person or to “always look on the bright side of life.” It’s a matter of choosing to see God at work in our lives, no matter how bad our circumstances get. It’s a matter of wrapping ourselves in His presence when life threatens to overwhelm us. It’s a matter of staying in constant contact with Him during trials and never losing sight of the awesome privilege of being able to do so.

Maintaining a spirit of thankfulness will not only impact our lives, but it will also impact the lives of others in our orbit. Nothing speaks louder about the life-changing potential of the Christian faith than a believer who remains faithful and thankful when things go bad.

First Thessalonians 5:18 doesn’t say we should be thankful for all circumstances, but rather in all circumstances. There are many things that happen that I’m not glad about. But I am glad that, despite the tragedies, God is still on the throne, and He is still in control of all circumstances that surround my life.

Reflection question: What would being thankful in all circumstances look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” (Luke 14:33 NLT)

It has been said, “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”

This statement reminds me of the account in Matthew 19 of the rich young man who came to Jesus seeking answers. Here was a man who, of all men, should have been content and fulfilled. He had great influence and affluence. Yet despite all his accomplishments, there was something missing in his life. He asked, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (verse 16 NLT).

“‘Why ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments’” (verse 17 NLT). Jesus was not implying that by keeping the Ten Commandments, a person would be saved. Rather, Jesus held the Ten Commandments up as a mirror to show this man his sin.

“‘I’ve obeyed all these commandments,’ the young man replied. ‘What else must I do?’” (verse 20 nlt).

I think Jesus probably smiled at this. He saw what this man was really all about. So, He took it up a notch and said, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21 NLT).

Verse 22 says, “But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions” (NLT).

Jesus knew the problem with this young man was that possessions had possessed his soul. But Jesus just as easily could have said something completely different to someone else. What is really holding someone back from Christ and from further spiritual progress can vary from person to person.

Jesus revealed the hard truth about discipleship in Luke 14:33: “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own” (NLT). Nothing should be more valuable, more precious, or more important to us than our relationship with Christ.

Jesus drives this point home further in Luke 14:26–27. “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple” (NLT). Nothing should ever be more important to us than our walk with Christ.

That’s why it’s a good idea to regularly come before Jesus and ask, “Lord, is there anything in my life that is getting in the way of my relationship with You?” We must be willing to do what the rich young man would not and sacrifice anything that gets in the way of our spiritual growth.

Reflection question: What do you think Jesus would say if you asked Him to show you anything that was getting in the way of your relationship with Him? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

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“He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” (Mark 14:34 NLT)

Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through when He agonized at Gethsemane.

The book of Hebrews tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (4:15–16 NLT).

The book of Isaiah tells us that Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (53:3 NLT). But the sorrow He experienced in Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion seemed to be the culmination of all the sorrow He had ever known and would accelerate to a climax the following day. The ultimate triumph that was to take place at Calvary was first accomplished beneath the gnarled, old olive trees of Gethsemane. Jesus shared His agony with His disciples. “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’” (Mark 14:34 NLT).

It’s interesting that the very word Gethsemane means “olive press.” Olives were pressed there to make oil, and truly, Jesus was being pressed from all sides that He might bring life to us. I don’t think we can even begin to fathom what He was going through. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (NLT). That’s the hard truth of our salvation: Jesus had to suffer and die in our place. He had to endure the punishment that we deserved. He was crushed and beaten for our sake. He could have walked away, but He submitted to His Father’s will so that the plan of salvation could be accomplished.

His crushing and beating brought about your salvation and mine. Because of what Jesus went through at Gethsemane and ultimately at the cross, we can call on His name. Though His suffering and death were unfathomably excruciating, they were necessary for God’s ultimate goal.

Maybe you’re at a crisis point in your life right now—a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You know what you want, yet you can sense that God’s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, “Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done”? You will never regret making that decision.

Reflection question: How would you explain the hard truth about Jesus’ sacrifice to an unbeliever? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

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“A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. ‘Go away for now,’ he replied. ‘When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.’” (Acts 24:24–25 NLT)

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:29–30 NLT). But He wasn’t suggesting that the Christian walk would be easy—or anything less than challenging, for that matter.

The beliefs that Christians embrace often defy worldly wisdom. They expose the emptiness of platitudes and shallow philosophies. The “hard truths” of the Christian faith often put believers in the crosshairs of those who oppose us. But that doesn’t change the fact that those hard truths must be taken to heart and shared with others. Over the next several days, we’re going to look at some of these hard truths. And we’re going to start with the one that plays out in Acts 24:24–25.

When the apostle Paul stood before the Roman governor Felix and his wife, “he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment” (Acts 24:25 NLT). In other words, Paul shared his faith with Felix.

The governor, however, was frightened by what he heard and told Paul, “Go away for now… When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again” (verse 25 NLT). That’s how a lot of people face spiritual issues in their lives: “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to deal with this now.”

That was my mother’s response every time the topic turned to spiritual things. She would cut the conversation short and say, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Whenever we discussed the meaning of life or the afterlife, she would say, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

I didn’t want to have a confrontation every time I saw her. But one morning I felt especially convicted that I needed to visit my mother and raise the subject once again. When I arrived, I told her, “I want to talk to you about eternity.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

But I wasn’t backing down. Not on that day! I said, “Mom, today we are going to talk about it.”

She didn’t like it. But we had the conversation, and it ultimately resulted in her recommitting her life to the Lord. I’m so glad that we spoke about spiritual things that day because it wasn’t long afterward that she died unexpectedly.

If you know someone right now—your mom, dad, grandfather, grandmother, or someone who’s approaching the end of their life—and you’re feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit to have that conversation, then go have it. What if it’s awkward? Then let it be awkward. It just may result in their making a commitment to Christ.

Reflection question: How can you overcome the obstacles that might keep you from sharing your faith? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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