In the pressing, In the crushing, You are making new wine
(New Wine by Hillsong)
Life is a tapestry of seasons. There are quiet seasons of rest, eventful seasons of harvest, and intense seasons of “birthing”—times when God places a burden on us to bring forth the next chapter of His plan.
To fully lay hold on what He has prepared, we must master the season we are in. Today, we look at a season many call “wilderness” but, I call it “Gethsemane.”
The Meaning of the Press
The word Gethsemane originates from Hebrew/Aramaic Gat Shemen, meaning “oil press.” It was a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives, but symbolically, it represents the place of intense spiritual struggle and the ultimate submission of the human will to the Divine.
In Gethsemane, we experience a “death to self.” It is the lonely internal weight of knowing that what lies ahead is a cup only you can drink.
Like a pregnant woman approaching her due date, there is deep discomfort and changes you didn’t prepare for, but it is all part of the birthing process.
Navigating Your Gethsemane: Insights from Romans 8
When you find yourself in the “press,” and the soul feels strangely heavy, what do you do? Romans 8:22–28 (MSG) gives us a roadmap:
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Romans 8:22–28 (MSG)
Here are seven truths to anchor you during this season:
1. Recognize the Source
This sudden yearning or “heaviness” isn’t depression; it is the Spirit of God arousing you. It is a holy burden for “more” that differs from natural desire. Even Jesus, as He approached Jerusalem, felt this imminent weight.
2. Watch and Wait
Gethsemane requires “watching”—staying alert in prayer and fasting. Like the prophet Habakkuk, we must stand at our watchtower to see what God will speak to us. Your heart must remain stayed on Him.
3. You Are Not Diminishing
Don’t internalize the process. While it feels like you are being squeezed, you are not being destroyed. The presence of the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is proof that this process is orchestrated by God. He sustains you in the press.
4. Expect Enlargement
The Message translation says, “The longer we wait, the larger we become.” In this season, your spiritual vision is sharpened, your perspective broadens, and your internal capacity for the next level is increased.
5. It’s Okay to Be Tired
Jesus Himself was “exceedingly sorrowful.” Being in Gethsemane is exhausting because it involves the exchange of your will for the Father’s. Do not condemn yourself for the fatigue; let it drive you to His strength.
6. Praying in the Spirit is Non-Negotiable
When you don’t have the words for the “aching groans” within, the Spirit prays for you. He knows your “pregnant condition” and translates your sighs into perfect alignment with God’s will.
7. The Beautiful Alignment
As you submit and align, you gain a divine guarantee: God will cause every detail of this crushing (the loneliness, the pressure, and the wait) to work together for your ultimate good.
Closing Thought
Gethsemane is not just a historical site where Jesus prayed; it is a present reality for every believer called to carry their cross. If you are in the press today, remember: The pressure isn’t there to break you; it’s there to produce the oil.
Stay on your watch. Your enlargement is coming.
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