What difference would have been made?

[GodsLit'lGirl]

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples, "Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me." And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as you will." And he came to his disciples, and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch you, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak." [Matthew 26:36-47]

What difference would it have made if they had prayed for an hour?

 

[Yekcidmij]

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples, "Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me." And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as you will." And he came to his disciples, and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch you, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak." [Matthew 26:36-47]

What difference would it have made if they had prayed for an hour?

The point is they couldn't stay awake. They obviously didn't understand the significance of what was going on.

 

[JimB]

*****

What difference would it have made if they had prayed for an hour?

There would have been no difference even if had they prayed two hours instead of one. Jesus had to die, when He did just as He had to be born when He was. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (Gal. 4.4-5).

When we learn that so little depends on us that we are relatively insignificant as far as the advancement of God’s kingdom in the world the quicker we will understand grace and humility. God allows us to participate with Him in the work of the kingdom but He does not depend on us.

~ Hugh D’Mann

Contentment is not found in having what you want, but in wanting what you have​

 

[SUNSTONE]

When we learn that so little depends on us that we are relatively insignificant as far as the advancement of God’s kingdom in the world the quicker we will understand grace and humility. God allows us to participate with Him in the work of the kingdom but He does not depend on us.

~ Hugh D’Mann

Contentment is not found in having what you want, but in wanting what you have​

I don't think there is a more destructive lie in the church today, than the one that says God is in control.

That lie has so many christians in america sitting on thier butts doing nothing but living a selfish lifestyle.
And when that selfish lifestyle comes to an end, they think and hope that God will restore them back to the level of selfish sin that they once were in.

That is the american brainwashed way.
The happy ending at the end of the movie, no matter what lifestyle you live.
The, I don't have to live like Jesus, Jesus died so that I can be free to sin, type of thinking.

1 billion people don't have clean water to drink, which causes all kinds of health problems, birth defects, and death.
But yet we some how think that God cares about wether we have enough money to pay for cable tv, ice cream, air conditioning.

It amazes me at how selfish americans can be to the point that they think the world revolves around them, but at the same time they are so insecure.

 

[Optimax]

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples, "Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me." And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as you will." And he came to his disciples, and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch you, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak." [Matthew 26:36-47]

What difference would it have made if they had prayed for an hour?

There would have been a difference. Not in the fact that Jesus would go to the cross.

The difference would have been that through their prayers they would have avoided temptation in their lives.

Lk 22:40
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
KJV

Peter might not have denied the Lord, the others may have been more supporting of him during the "trial" that led to his crucifixion.

I believe they would have had a part in the Lord's strengthening with the angels.

Lk 22:43
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
KJV

 

[SUNSTONE]

Perhaps Jesus was still thinking about his students training, even during His stressful time just before the cross.

 

[He put me back together]

Perhaps Jesus was still thinking about his students training, even during His stressful time just before the cross.

I think Jesus was a little angry, or at least frustrated. I think I would have been.

 

[Yekcidmij]

I don't think there is a more destructive lie in the church today, than the one that says God is in control.

So who's the god now? Or is there just one? Or any at all? Who/what is in control or is everything just random and arbitrary?

 

[He put me back together]

So who's the god now? Or is there just one? Or any at all? Who/what is in control or is everything just random and arbitrary?

I don't know if I would use the same words, but I would say that a tragically incorrect doctrine spread in church today is that nothing we do matters. The New Testament alone is full of rhetoric to the contrary.

 

[Elijah2]

There is much in those verses. Our Lord Jesus Christ singled out Peter, James, and John once again to accompany HIM or a specific reason and purpose. Peter claimed that he would never forsake our Lord Jesus Christ and that he would die for HIM, yet Peter couldn't stay awake to pray with our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of HIS greatest need.

The Disciples needed to stay awake and pray, because they were being tested themselves. The human weakness was emphasised here, and the contrast of their weaknessess and the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ is startling.

That same sort of weakness is still obvious within the Body of Christ today.

 

[JimB]

I don't think there is a more destructive lie in the church today, than the one that says God is in control.

That lie has so many christians in america sitting on thier butts doing nothing but living a selfish lifestyle.
And when that selfish lifestyle comes to an end, they think and hope that God will restore them back to the level of selfish sin that they once were in.

That is the american brainwashed way.
The happy ending at the end of the movie, no matter what lifestyle you live.
The, I don't have to live like Jesus, Jesus died so that I can be free to sin, type of thinking.

1 billion people don't have clean water to drink, which causes all kinds of health problems, birth defects, and death.
But yet we some how think that God cares about wether we have enough money to pay for cable tv, ice cream, air conditioning.

It amazes me at how selfish americans can be to the point that they think the world revolves around them, but at the same time they are so insecure.

Really?

I do not know of any more faith/trust destroying “lie” than that God is not in control. How can I put my faith in a God whose creation is beyond His control (Open Theism) or that He has left it in the control of men (Deism).

These beliefs are as much the cause of "American" self-centeredness as the one you propose.

~ Hugh D’Mann

Contentment is not found in having what you want, but in wanting what you have​

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

How about God is in control, yet HE has given us responsibilities to accomplish. What we are unable to do without Him He will accomplish through us. However, if we choose to not obey Him in the responsibilities He's given us then there are some things that will quite likely fall through the cracks. We will be held responsible.

I also believe God is interested in supplying me with anything I need in order to fulfill what HE's given me to accomplish. Some may not need the comforts of life to accomplish what God has given them. Then there are others who do. He has not made us like little boxes

 

[zaksmummy]

I love that song - havent heard it in years!

Back to the OP, I heard someone once say that the reason the disciples were all asleep and not praying was because they were so overcome by grief at what was about to happen, that they couldnt handle it.

Just thought I'd put that in as food for thought!

 

[Yekcidmij]

I don't know if I would use the same words, but I would say that a tragically incorrect doctrine spread in church today is that nothing we do matters.

Saying that we are to "do things" is a far far cry from saying God isn't in control. God is in control. And whoever says that nothing we do matters is just foolish. If God wasn't in control, there would literally be no reason to get up in the morning or lie down at night or do anything at all.

 

[He put me back together]

Saying that we are to "do things" is a far far cry from saying God isn't in control. God is in control. And whoever says that nothing we do matters is just foolish. If God wasn't in control, there would literally be no reason to get up in the morning or lie down at night or do anything at all.

Exactly. Yahweh has set before us life and death. If He was not in control, He would have no power to do this. And, if nothing we do affects the world or matters in any way, then we would not be capable of making this choice, or having faith at all. God is God. And it is our choice to let Him be God in our lives. That choice has a profound impact on everyone around us. This is why His anger burned against Israel in the time of Moses and the old prophets, it is why Jesus judged fleshly Israel and destroyed them in 70 AD saving a remnant, and this is one reason why I believe we have failed to bring His light to so many of our own neighbors today--it's not that they wouldn't receive His word if we gave it, but rather we have presented a god of impotence in our belief and in our actions.

From the Scripture, cover to cover, there is only one conclusion to draw: God is in control, and every decision that we make matters.

 

[Faulty]

There would have been no difference even if had they prayed two hours instead of one. Jesus had to die, when He did just as He had to be born when He was. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (Gal. 4.4-5).

When we learn that so little depends on us that we are relatively insignificant as far as the advancement of God’s kingdom in the world the quicker we will understand grace and humility. God allows us to participate with Him in the work of the kingdom but He does not depend on us.

~ Hugh D’Mann

Contentment is not found in having what you want, but in wanting what you have​

Agreed. God chooses us for certain work. In John, Jesus declares to the disciples that He chose them, they did not choose Him. Also in Acts 9:15, God declares Paul as a "chosen vessel" to "bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel". He calls us and chooses us to do certain work for Him, and we each play our own roll within the body.

 

[Svt4Him]

There would have been a difference. Not in the fact that Jesus would go to the cross.

The difference would have been that through their prayers they would have avoided temptation in their lives.

Lk 22:40
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
KJV

Peter might not have denied the Lord, the others may have been more supporting of him during the "trial" that led to his crucifixion.

I believe they would have had a part in the Lord's strengthening with the angels.

Lk 22:43
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
KJV

Kind of seems like this is the answer to the question.