Christians can do all things, but there is one thing they find hard to do and that’s praying. Why do so many Christians find it difficult to pray and some even feel they can’t pray at all? IBhayibheli lithi, that they can’t pray because the flesh can’t pray. What does it mean the flesh can’t pray and what do you have to do, so that you can pray?
Jesus prayed fervently in the Garden of Gethsemane
And He came unto the disciples, and found them asleep, wathi kuPhetro, Ini, could you not watch with Me one hour? Lindani nikhuleke, that you enter not into temptation: umoya ngempela uyavuma, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka (Mathewu 26:40-41)
When Jesus went to the Ingadi yeGetsemane, the spiritual battle against His soul began. Jesus took three of His disciples with Him to pray. These three disciples were Peter, UJohane, kanye noJames.
As they went into the garden, Jesus said that His soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. UJesu wayala abafundi bakhe ukuba bahlale lapho, nokulinda kanye naYe.
UJesu waqhubeka ingcosana ensimini. Waguqa wakhuleka kuYise, uma kungenzeka, lesisitsha kasidlule kimi: nokho kungabi njengokuba ngithanda, kodwa njengoba uthanda wena.
Ngemva kwehora elilodwa lokuthandaza, UJesu wabuyela kubafundi bakhe abathathu. Kodwa esikhundleni sokubathola bekhuleka, UJesu wabafica belele.
Umoya uyavuma kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka
UJesu wabuza uPhetro, kungani babengenakukhuleka nokulinda kanye naye, ihora elilodwa? Akekho owaphendula uJesu’ umbuzo. Abafundi abakwazanga ukuthandaza nokubuka noJesu nokulwa naye le mpi yomoya.
Kungani abafundi babengakwazi ukubukela futhi bathandaze?Abafundi babengakwazi ukulinda nokuthandaza ngoba inyama ayikwazi ukukhuleka.
UJesu wathi, ukuthi umoya uyavuma, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.
Inyama ayikwazi ukubuka nokuthandaza.
Inqobo nje uma inyama ayibethelwe esiphambanweni futhi ufile kuKristu kodwa usaphila, abantu abakwazi ukukhuleka.
Hhayi-ke, bangathandaza imithandazo emifushane kanye nemithandazo yomphefumulo evela entandweni yabo yenyama, imizwa, izifiso, nezinkanuko. Bangathandaza imithandazo ezungeza bona noma bakopishe izindlela zomkhuleko namafomula futhi bathandaze le mithandazo ephrintiwe. Kodwa abakwazi ukuthandaza isikhathi eside futhi baphikelele, kwazise bayakhathala balale.
Kungani inyama ingakwazi ukuthandaza?
AmaKristu amaningi awayazi impi eqhubekayo engokomoya endaweni yomoya. Lokho kungenxa yokuthi, ungabona lokhu kuphela futhi uqaphele futhi ubambe iqhaza lapho uba azalwe kabusha.
Uma ungakazalwa ngokusha noma inqobo nje uma uhlala wenyama futhi uhamba emva kwenyama, awukwazi ukubona noma ukuqonda uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngeke ubone, okwenzekayo ngempela endaweni yomoya engemuva kwendawo ebonakalayo (indawo yemvelo). Ngakho-ke, aniyikuba namandla okukhuleka. Futhi uma ningakwazi ukukhuleka, khona-ke anikwazi ukubuka. Ngoba kungani udinga ukuthandaza futhi ubuke?
UJesu wayazi ukuthi kwakwenzekani nokuthi kwakuzokwenzekani. UJesu wayazi kahle ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokudela ukuphila Kwakhe futhi ahluphekele isintu.
UJesu wayazi kanjani ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokubeka phansi ukuphila kwakhe? Ngoba endaweni ebonakalayo, kwakungekho zimpawu noma izinkomba, ukuthi isikhathi Sakhe sesifikile. Kodwa uJesu wayazi ukuthi isikhathi sakhe sokufa sase sifikile, ngoba uJesu kahambanga ngokwenyama kodwa ngokukaMoya.
UJesu akazange ahambe ngokwalokho ayekubona ngezinzwa Zakhe. U-Hij akazange aholwe izinzwa Zakhe. Kodwa uJesu wayelawulwa nguMoya. Wayehlale exhumene noBaba noMoya oNgcwele futhi ethandaza ebukela.
Kungani uJesu abukela?
UJesu wadabuka, edabukile, futhi ecindezeleke kakhulu. Wabuza uPetru, UJohane, noJakobe ukuba alinde kanye naye, ngoba umphefumulo wakhe wawulusizi kakhulu, even unto death. UJesu wayazi, ukuthi isikhathi sesifikile, ukuthi uzakunikelwa ezandleni zezoni. Wayazi, ukuthi Wayezobethelwa futhi umhlatshelo ngenxa yesintu futhi athwale zonke izono kanye nobubi bomhlaba.
Kwakuyimpi engokomoya, phakathi komoya Wakhe nenyama. Ngoba umphefumulo wakhe wawuzungezwe usizi kwaze kwaba sekufeni.
UJesu waba nemizwa efanayo naleyo wonke umuntu aba nayo. Kungakho uJesu enguMpristi wethu Omkhulu.
UJesu wangena umfanekiso wenyama enesono futhi walingwa kukho konke, njengawo wonke umuntu emhlabeni.
Nokho, UJesu akenzanga isono kodwa wahlala elalela intando kaYise, ngenxa yothando lwakhe olukhulu ngoYise (Oh. AmaRoma 8:3, amaHebheru 4:1).
UJesu wathandaza kuBaba futhi wazabalaza kwaze kwaba seqophelweni lobuhlungu.
Ngesikhathi uJesu’ impi engokomoya, ingelosi yeza izoqinisa uJesu. Ngemva kwalokho, UJesu wathandaza ngobuqotho ngokwengeziwe, kanye noJesu’ umjuluko waba njengamathonsi egazi. Cabanga ngalokho!
Ingxenye yokuqala kaJesu’ umthandazo wathatha cishe ihora. Lapho uJesu ebuyela kubafundi Bakhe abathathu, UJesu wabafica belele. UJesu waphindela emuva wakhuleka futhi. UJesu wathandaza kathathu nangemva komthandazo wesithathu, kwenziwa. Wayekulwile ukulwa kwaKhe. Manje, UJesu wayekulungele ukugcwalisa icebo likaNkulunkulu ngempilo Yakhe.
UJesu wayebethele umphefumulo Wakhe eGetsemane. Ngakho-ke wayeselungele ukubethelwa kwenyama Yakhe. Wayekulungele ukubhekana nesono nokufa. (Funda futhi: ‘Ukubethelwa komphefumulo‘ futhi ‘Ukubethelwa kwenyama‘).
Kungani kwakumele abafundi bakaJesu babukele?
UJesu wayeyazi impi phakathi komoya nenyama. Wayazi, ukuthi uma umoya (kanye loMoya oNgcwele) angeke abuse, inyama (umphefumulo nomzimba) yayizothatha izintambo futhi ibuse kumuntu futhi ilawule umuntu.
Inyama ingubutha kuNkulunkulu ngoba inyama ayikwazi ukuthobela uNkulunkulu kanye neNtando Yakhe. Uma kubusa inyama, inyama ilawula ukuphila komuntu. Umuntu uzolalela inyama futhi enze intando yenyama futhi abe Ungalaleli uNkulunkulu neZwi laKhe nesono.
Ngakho-ke uJesu wayala abafundi bakhe ukuba balinde futhi bathandaze njalo. Ukuze, babengeke bangene endaweni yokuhlolwa, lokho kungaletha ukunxusa ukwenza okubi nokona.
Uma beyokona, babezozifaka ngokuzenzakalelayo ngaphansi kwe igunya likasathane. Isono sasiyobusa ezimpilweni zabo futhi isiphetho sabo sasiyoba ukufa. Ngoba inkokhelo yesono ingukufa (AmaRoma 8:5-8).
Yingakho uJesu axwayisa abafundi bakhe ukuba babuke futhi bathandaze. Ukuze bangangeni esilingweni futhi benze into ephambene nentando kaNkulunkulu.
Umoya ufuna ukuthandaza, kodwa inyama ayikwazi ukukhuleka
Umoya uyavuma futhi ufuna ukuthandaza, kodwa inyama yakho ayikwazi ukukhuleka. Inqobo nje uma inyama yakho isabusa empilweni yakho, awukwazi ukukhuleka futhi ubuke. Bheka abafundi abathathu. Babengakazalwa ngokusha, kodwa babengabafundi abaqotho kunabo bonke uJesu’ abafundi.
Bamlandela futhi belalela uJesu kukho konke, futhi wayemthanda uJesu. Ngenkathi abanye abafundi befulathela uJesu bamshiya uJesu, ngenxa yamazwi Akhe alukhuni kanye neqiniso elinzima uJesu alishumayela. Kodwa laba bafundi abathathu abazange bamshiye uJesu futhi babethembekile kunabo bonke kwabayishumi nambili. Yingakho uJesu abuza laba bafundi abathathu, ukuhlangana Naye emthandazweni futhi ulinde kanye Naye (Funda futhi: ‘Ukulandela uJesu kuzokubiza konke‘).
Kodwa ngisho nalaba bafundi abathathu abathembekile abakwazanga ukukwenza, lokho uJesu abacela ukuba bakwenze. Inyama yabo yayikhathele futhi ngenxa yokuthi babengazalwa ngokusha, kodwa bengabenyama futhi belawulwa yinyama yabo, bazunywa ubuthongo bagcina bezumekile.
UJesu nguye yedwa uMuntu, Ubani ongangena kule mpi kamoya futhi aphikelele futhi anqobe isitha. Ngoba nakuba Wazalwa enyameni, Wazalwa ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu futhi wahamba ngokuzithoba kuBaba emva koMoya, enze intando yaKhe. UJesu akazange avumele inyama ukuthi ibuse empilweni Yakhe futhi imyalele ukuthi enzeni.
Ngaphandle uma uzalwa ngokusha kuKristu ngamanzi nangoMoya futhi uzalwe ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu futhi uhambe emva kukaMoya, ngeke nikwazi ukukhuleka emva kukaMoya. Kuphela uma usuyisidalwa esisha (umuntu omusha ngokomoya) futhi ungene endaweni yomoya uzohlala uphapheme futhi ukwazi ukubukela nokuthandaza.
‘Yiba usawoti womhlaba’
