Unanswered Prayers: Jesus Understands

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus prayed an unanswered prayer?⁠⠀

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Mark 14:34-36⁠ (ESV)⠀

34And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”⠀

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As I read that passage, my heart breaks. Oh what an unfathomable thing our Savior did for us. Jesus agonized in prayer to the point of asking God the Father to do it another way if possible.  ⁠⠀

We don't have to feel guilt over the pain we feel from unanswered prayers. Our Savior knows it all too well. He understands the feelings behind desperate prayers. He understands our pain, and He feels it with us (Hebrews 4:15). 

We don't have to feel guilt when our submission to God's will hurts. Jesus knew the "why" behind His coming suffering, but His knowledge didn't alleviate His agony—so we better believe He understands our agony when we don't have the knowledge.

All throughout the Bible we see men and women of God pouring out their pain before Him, and never once do we see God rebuke them for their pain. On the contrary, we see God have compassion for the pain of His people all throughout Scripture.

And, all throughout Scripture, we see that there is always purpose when God allows pain. We will never go wrong to submit our will to God's, even if there is pain in the submission. The pain is real, but so is the purpose. The pain is real, but so is the joy that comes in the morning. And the pain of unanswered prayers will eventually fade into the background when the purpose is perfected.⁠