I’m six chapters into Philip Yancey’s new book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? I’ve been Yancey’s biggest fan for many years, and this book delivers all the good stuff I expected.

Today I ran across an interesting insight that Yancey borrows from Haddon Robinson. Picture the Garden of Gethsemane. Three men are resting peacefully. One is off by himself, agonizing in prayer, with the sweat dripping off of him like blood. You might reasonably look at the one, Jesus, and wonder if he really has the strength for the ordeal that lies ahead. If he is in such turmoil now, how can he possibly hold up when the real action starts? How will he possibly face his impending arrest and trial, to say nothing of the beatings and the crucifixion? Why can’t he relax and trust God, like his three companions seem to be doing?

But that, of course, isn’t the real story. After his heart-wrenching struggle in prayer, Jesus is ready - fully ready - for everything else that comes. He faces the final hours of his life with quiet strength. But the three disciples, Peter, James and John, are completely unprepared. When trouble arrives, they begin immediately to unravel. Soon they will flee into the night to leave Jesus with his accusers.

Robinson’s picture succinctly describes Yancey’s view of the meaning of prayer (at least through chapter six). In spite of all the difficulties we have with prayer (and Yancey deals with all of them), prayer is the ultimate act of faith in which our minds take on the strength of God.