“Girl shall not live on cookies alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,” or something like that. Welcome to the April 2026 Bible Study Challenge where Jesus prays in Gethsemane. I’m so glad you’ve joined me for this challenge. I hope you learn something new, even if you’ve read this story already. Let’s dive into the Word, girlies!
Your Mission
Before we start the Bible study, let me tell you your mission. Your mission is to have a Bible study on Jesus praying in Gethsemane. Grab a piece of paper or a notebook, a pen or pencil, and your Bible. With those materials ready, you can start the Bible study! Read the Bible verses that I’ll list below. After that, write your:
- Observation (what you observed from the Bible verses. Include answers to all three Main Questions)
- Application (how can you apply this to your life?)
- and Prayer (based on your observation and application)
The three Main Questions are basically questions on the passage that will help guide you through your Bible study. After you do your Bible study, the final step of your mission is to share your observation on the 30th of April. That’s when I’ll share my observation! Ok, now that you know your mission, we can start!
Matthew 26: 36-46 NLT
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “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.”
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Three Main Questions
Resurrection Sunday is coming soon! I’m also pretty sure that today is the first day of Passover. I chose Jesus praying in Gethsemane as the passage for this month because it’s a part of the Resurrection Sunday story, one of my favorite stories as I said in my Resurrection Sunday story personality quiz.
Jesus praying in Gethsemane happened after the Passover meal. He went into the garden with Peter, James, and John. He prayed to God, his Father. Jesus knew that it was God’s will for his death on the cross because it would save humanity from the curse of sin and death that Adam and Eve’s sin brought into the world.
However, the disciples were literally sleeping while Jesus prayed! Jesus said that it was because of their body, or flesh. He told them not to give into temptation by copying his example by praying.
This passage ends on a cliffhanger as Jesus says that the time has come for him to be betrayed. Right after this passage, Judas betrays Jesus, Jesus goes on trial, he dies on a cross, and rises from the dead to fulfill God’s will that he was praying about. This passage has a lot going on, so let me give you the three Main Questions to help disect it for our Bible study!
- Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us to follow Jesus’s example. What examples did Jesus give us to follow when he prayed in Gethsemane?
- How do we not fall into temptation according to what Jesus said to the disciples?
- Jesus prayed right before he went on trial. How does this relate to Philippians 4:6-7?
Ok, it’s time to write!
Observation, Application, and Prayer
Write your observation. Include answers to all three Main Questions. What parts of this passage spoke to you?
Next, write your application. How can you apply this passage to your life? Any convictions?
Finally, write your prayer based on your observation and application.
Thank you so much for participating in the April 2026 Bible Study Challenge: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane! Remember to share your observation on the 31st! That’s when I’ll share my observation. I’ll post a seperate post for it. Thanks for reading! That’s all. Bye, girlies!
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