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Interactive Prayer Guide

Stations of the Cross Prayer Guide

elcome to Frazer’s Stations of the Cross Prayer Experience which is designed to help you contemplate and reflect on the Passion of Jesus Christ during the last hours of His life. We have chosen eight meditation and prayer stations that focus on the journey of Jesus from His time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane to His death on the cross. These devotions will take you down the “Via Dolorosa” or “Way of Sorrow” traveling with Jesus as he made his way to Golgotha. Each station has a passage of scripture to read. Have your Bible handy to read the scriptures or follow the links to biblegateway.com.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

The Eight Stations 1 Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane 2 Jesus Is Condemned to Death 3 Jesus Takes Up His Cross 4 Simon of Cyrene Carries Jesus’ Cross 5 Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem 6 Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross 7 Jesus’ Clothes Are Divided 8 Jesus Dies

1. Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane Read Matthew 26:36-50, 55-56

ead the words of Matthew aloud and part of the plan but could not begin to try to imagine being with Jesus in the imagine how that would feel. Garden of Gethsemane. Listen to Jesus as 5. Salvation was in that cup. As Jesus He prays and struggles there leading up to looked into the cup He knew it was to His arrest. Here we see Jesus’ humanity at provide salvation to all people. That its deepest level. There was a great struggle knowledge gave Him the courage, happening within Him as He willed to strength and will to go on – to drink the submit to the Father. He asked three times cup – to offer a way for every sinner to that “the cup” might pass from Him. What know the Father. was in the “cup” that He desired to avoid? Spend some time meditating on His love 1. Sin was in that cup. Not just some sin, for you. Kneel if you are able, as you bow but the sin of the entire world, from in praise. Thank God for Jesus’ willingness Adam to the very last sinner on the to suffer and die for you. Never forget earth. (Your sin was in the cup.) that your life was bought with a very high 2. Suffering was in that cup. Even though price. Jesus had known the time would come for Him to be beaten, flogged, and Father, crucified, His struggle was great as He Your love for me and for the world is anticipated the horror of the next few infinitely beyond human understanding. hours. How You could plan so far ahead of time to 3. Sacrifice was in that cup. Beyond the give Your only Son as a sacrifice to pay for sin and suffering, Jesus recognized the sins of the world, is overwhelming. As His role as the final sacrifice. He knew inadequate as it is, “Thank you!” Thank you how bloody and brutal the “Day of for loving me enough to send Your Son to Atonement” sacrifices were and knew DIE. I thank you that Jesus was obedient. that as the last sacrificial lamb, His death Thank you that He, too, loved infinitely and was willing to endure great suffering and would be equally bloody and brutal. death to save mankind from eternity without 4. Separation was in that cup. Never You! Amen. before had He experienced separation from His Father. He knew that was

2. Jesus Is Condemned to Death Read Matthew 27: 11-31

ho is to blame for Jesus’ mock trial and condemnation to death? Was it the Jews? They accused Him of blasphemy for which the penalty was death, but the Romans had taken away their authority to impose the death penalty. Was it the Romans? Yes, the Roman soldiers flogged Jesus and carried out the crucifixion, but they were indifferent to Jesus’ guilt or innocence. They were just following orders and enjoying the cruelty they were allowed to inflict on crucifixion victims. Or was it the combined sins of the world? In one sense, yes, the sin of every person condemned and then nailed Jesus to that cross.

Isaiah says in 53:10 –“ it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.” Clearly this was God’s plan from the very beginning. Can you begin to grasp God’s great love for you? Spend some time thanking and praising God for His unparalleled love for you. Confess that your sin makes you a participant with the angry crowd. Everyone participates.

Merciful God, You are good beyond all understanding. I am wretched, miserable and sinful. I acknowledge that it was my sin that caused Read Matthew’s account of Jesus’ trial Jesus to have to suffer and die. My lips are before Pilate. Pay close attention to the ready to confess while my heart is slow to feel frenzied crowd present that day. Jesus was and my ways are reluctant to mend. I bring willing to die for everyone in that multitude myself to you – break me, bend me, mold me. of humanity – the Jewish leaders who Reveal my sin nature that I may hate it and despised and feared him, the Jewish people flee from it. Help me to know that the way who just went along with their leaders, of evil is hard and evil paths are wretched the Romans who held him in custody and paths. Work in me profound and abiding every person who would ever live on planet repentance and give to me godly grief that leads to righteousness through Jesus’ Earth. sacrifice. Amen. But it was God the Father who determined long ago that Jesus would die this horrible death for our sins. Any controversy about who crucified Jesus is marginal at best. His Father ordained it and Jesus chose to embrace His Father’s will. The prophet

3. Jesus Carries the Cross Read John 19:15-17

God of all righteousness, Destroy in me every lofty thought; break pride to pieces and scatter it to the winds. Annihilate each clinging shred of selfrighteousness. Implant in me true lowliness of spirit and the knowledge that Jesus’ righteousness rescues me. Give to me an obedient heart where You are present and evil cannot live. May I always be surrendered to You and dependent upon You in every area of my life. I plead nothing in myself in regard of any worthiness and grace, but only Consider Romans 5:19: For as through Your good pleasure. Help me to honor You the one man’s disobedience the many through an abiding life that brings pleasure were made sinners, even so through the and glory to Your holy name. Amen. obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Jesus was obedient to the Father so that we might share in His righteousness. Thank Him for loving you so much that obedience was not an option but that He made a conscious decision to suffer and die so that you might live now and forever through faith in Him. As you ponder Jesus’ obedience ask God to help you live a life of complete obedience to His will. lose your eyes for a moment and picture Jesus, broken and bleeding, struggling to carry His cross. Imagine walking the “Via Dolorosa” or “Way of Suffering” with Jesus. Ponder His agony and excruciating pain as He labored with the heavy cross. Even in His agony He seems to have embraced His cross as well as His mission as seen in this picture. Jesus not only carried the heavy cross, but carried the weight of our sin as well.

4. Simon of Cyrene Carries Jesus’ Cross Read Luke 23:26 and Mark 15:21-22

God of All Grace, You have given me a Savior; fill me with Your Spirit, produce in me a faith to live through Him, to make Him all my desire, all my hope, and all my glory. May I seek Him as my refuge, build on Him as my foundation, walk in Him as my way, follow Him as my guide, conform to Him as my example, receive His instructions as my prophet, rely As Jesus’ disciples we are not forced on His intercession as my high priest, and as Simon was but are instructed to be obey Him as my king. I accept and embrace willing to daily take up our cross for the my unique cross that you have ordained for cause of Christ. The cross is God’s tool my life. Use me to help reach the lost and of redemption, instrument of salvation hurting world. Amen. and proof of his love. To take up the cross, then, is to take up Christ’s burden for the people of the world. Though our crosses are similar, none are identical. Jesus said in Luke 9:23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” We each have our own cross to carry—our individual calling. Your God-designed task fits you, it matches your passions and enlists your gifts and talents. imon was forced to carry Jesus’ cross and as he did, he experienced the heavy burden physically. In this picture, is Simon taking the cross from Jesus. Can you imagine the weight Simon felt as he carried Jesus’ cross. How much greater was the spiritual and emotional weight that Jesus felt as he bore the sins of the whole world?

Are you willing to take up your cross daily and follow Him wherever He may lead? Talk to Him about it.

5. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem Read Luke 23:27-30

magine the pain these women felt who were following Jesus that day. They had come to comfort him. They had seen his compassion and welcomed his words of healing and freedom. They wanted to support him, yet Jesus in His great love and compassion told them to focus on the hurting world around them. He knew that there would be terrible suffering when the Romans would besiege and destroy Jerusalem in about forty years. Through the ages, humanity has suffered greatly at the hands of men and through many natural disasters. Jesus would likely say to us today, “weep for your world.” Do you mourn for the hurting people of today? Are you willing to move your reflection into action and your good intentions into reality? Ask God how you can work to help those in need. Pray for Christ-like compassion for hurting people whether across town or around the globe. Watch a slide show reminding us of the hurts of this world.

God of all compassion, Help me to walk as Jesus walked, my savior and perfect model. Let my joyful place be among the poor in spirit, my delight the gentle ranks of the meek. Send me forth to have compassion on the hurting and the miserable. Teach me the art of attending to things temporal with a mind intent on things eternal. Let me always esteem others better than myself and walk in true humility as I offer compassion and sympathy in the name and power of my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

6. Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross Read Luke 23:32-38

Merciful God, I thank You that You have forgiven all my sins of this day, week, year, and life; sins of omission and commission, of hardheartedness, unbelief, presumption, pride, of unfaithfulness to the souls of men and deficiency in outspoken zeal for Your glory, of bringing dishonor upon Your great name, of deception, injustice, untruthfulness in my dealings with others, of impurity in thought, word and deed. Forgive me of sins in my family, in the study of Your word and in the neglect of it, in prayer irreverently offered As you pray the prayer below insert any and coldly withheld, in time misspent, in specific sins you need to confess. Rest yielding to Satan’s trickery, in opening assured that God completely forgives. myself to his temptations and in quenching (1 John 1:9—”If we confess our sins, He is the Holy Spirit. Pardon all my sins, known faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and unknown, confessed and not confessed, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”) remembered or forgotten. Lord, hear; and hearing forgive. Amen. s you read Luke’s account of Jesus being nailed to His cross, consider the extravagant price He paid for your sins. Imagine you are one of those people “looking on.” What is it like watching Jesus take the punishment for your sins? Take a piece of paper and write any sin(s) you need to confess to the Lord. Know that your sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus. Now, shred or tear up those sins and throw them away. Thank God that he no longer remembers those confessed sins.

7. Jesus’ Clothes Are Divided Read John 19:23-24

hen Jesus walked through Israel during his three year ministry, the crowds sought him because of what He could do for them. He gave sight and hearing, healing of disease, fed the multitudes, cast out demons and even raised the dead. Now, even while hanging on the cross the soldiers were looking for what they could take from him. Look at the picture of His blood stained robe before you with the many hands reaching out for “a piece of Jesus.” In Mark 6 below we see how the crowds frantically ran to where Jesus was so that they could receive from Him. Do you seek Jesus for what you can get from Him or out of love and adoration for Him? Mark 6: 53-56 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

Holy God, I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me. I am undeserving, but I look to Your tender mercy. I confess my frequent, willful and selfish sin. Help me to desire You in my inmost being and not just those things that You so willingly supply. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day. Move me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength as my blessed God and savior. Amen.

8. Jesus Dies on the Cross Read Matthew 27:45-50 and Luke 23:44-49

O God, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I turn away from my sin. I invite you into my heart and my life. From this moment I want to trust and follow Jesus as Even the Roman centurion recognized that my Lord and my Savior. Thank you Jesus, Jesus was the son of God (Matthew 27:54). for loving me enough to die to cleanse me He reacted out of terror but you have the from my sin. Amen. privilege of responding with praise and thanksgiving. As you bow in thankful and If you have just prayed that prayer, please heartfelt prayer reflect on what Jesus’ death share that with a Christian you know today. provides for you as a believer in Him. He We would love to hear from you as well, so we gives us access to the Father in this life and can rejoice with you and help you learn more an eternity with Him in heaven. Remember about how to grow as a Christian. You can that neither being a “good person” nor your send us a note at prayer@frazerumc.org. “good works” will get you into heaven, only God’s amazing grace through a relationship with Jesus guarantees heaven. eflect on the depth of the despair as Jesus hung on the cross for hours on that fateful day. Hear His cries of anguish as He takes His last breath. Remember His sacrifice! It is finished!

If you do not know Jesus as your savior, you can today. Pray right now, asking God to accept you on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice. Pray this prayer of repentance and surrender:

Closing Prayer Before Your cross I kneel and see the wickedness of my sin that caused You to be â€œmade a curse. â€? Show me the enormity of my guilt by the crown of thorns, the pierced hands and feet, the bruised body, and the dying cries. Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light, the air supply breath, or the earth bear my feet? Yet Your compassions yearn over me, Your love endured my curse, and Your mercy bore my deserved stripes. I offer a heart of praise and thanksgiving acknowledging Your love and mercy beyond any human comprehension. Amen.

Remember that the Cross is not the end. On the third day, the first Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating evil and death once and for all. Because he lives, we can have the hope of eternal life. All creation waits in eager anticipation for the resurrection of the children of God through the power of Jesus, when all things will be made right and every tear will be wiped away. We encourage you to find a local church where you can celebrate Easter in worship, or watch one of our services live at frazerumc.org/live (9:30 or 11:00 a.m. Central Time every Sunday).

Frazer United Methodist Church