Gethsemane translates to “oil press.” The Garden of Gethsemane means the place of the Olive Press. Why is this relevant? As we see in Scripture, that means the place of peril becomes the anointing of His power.
Jesus, fully knowing what He was about to face, went to Gethsemane, a place He frequented during His time in Jerusalem.
“Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.” (John 18:2)
What Jesus practiced consistently in prayer prepared Him fully for the suffering He knew He would endure on the Cross. Gethsemane, as the place of prayer, is the spiritual similitude of the place where oil flows. Gethsemane reveals the seven power-producing effects of prayer:
- Prayer is spiritual sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41)
When you pray with the Holy Spirit, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer subdues the flesh and sensitizes you to God’s presence. Without prayer, flesh dominates. With prayer, your spirit (your inner man) must be made willing, as Jesus said.
- Prayer stretches you further in the things of God.
Prayer stretches us into new dimensions of destiny:
“He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:35-36).
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He went forward a little and fell on His face. Power-producing prayer, saturated with the anointing, will stretch you from where you are now and bring you into things you never thought you could become.
The only way to stretch out of yourself and into the things of God is to fully give yourself to prayer. Spiritual stretching means yielding more each day to God.
A stagnant prayer life produces apathy, but a stretched prayer life releases fresh anointing.
- Prayer cuts the power of temptation.
When your prayer life is filled with the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer cuts temptation. Jesus Himself said this in the Garden: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38).
One of the clearest signs of spiritual decline is a weakened prayer life. When you stop wanting to seek God, apathy sets in—and compromise soon follows.
- Prayer releases spiritual strength from heaven.
When your human strength reaches its limit, prayer invites heaven’s help. Jesus experienced this: “Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43).
Just as the angels strengthened Jesus in the Garden, prayer strengthens you when you face trials and tribulations. Prayer is the means by which we access the victory already won for us. It causes us to depend on Jesus for everything.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
For the fifth through seventh power producing effects of prayer, continuing reading in part two.
Dr. Michelle Corral is the founder of the Day of Destiny podcast and CEO of Breath of the Spirit Ministries, Dr. Corral has spent more than 45 years spreading the prophetic Word of God worldwide. Through Chesed for Humanity International, she provides global humanitarian aid and shares destiny-focused principles through her books, broadcasts and outreach.
