Dec 10 2024

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

In this verse, Jesus tells Peter, James, and John to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows that His betrayal will tempt them to also turn their backs on Him. However, after Jesus goes to pray alone, He comes back and sees the disciples sleeping. His response is that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. There is much that we can learn from this verse and apply to our lives today.

The first is that prayer makes a huge difference in our lives. Jesus would not have asked the disciples to pray about resisting temptation if prayer had no effect. Jesus knew the disciples had to be covered in prayer to reject temptation. Indeed, as He had known they would, all the disciples abandoned Him. Might they have stood with Him if they had prayed instead of falling asleep? We can only wonder.

When we are facing something difficult, we must remember to go to God in prayer for help. Throughout His life, Jesus retreated to pray multiple times. If Jesus, the Son of God, knew that He needed to spend time alone with God to fulfill the purpose that God had for Him, then imagine how much more we need to be in prayer!

Jesus did not rebuke the disciples unkindly when He returned to see them sleeping again. He knew (and knows) that the flesh is weak even if the spirit is willing. This means we sometimes find what we know is right—to pray when it's inconvenient, for example—to be grating against our flesh, which might be craving sleep. If we find ourselves caught in an inner battle, we should not be surprised. But neither should we yield to our flesh that screams for comfort instead of holiness.

Indeed, while Jesus was not angry at the disciples, they were not covered in prayer, and each abandoned Jesus at His time of greatest need. We know this was not inevitable. They could have overcome their flesh and stood by Jesus, but even then, He showed them grace. Today, we can be comforted that our past failures are covered in grace while also being encouraged that we do not have to fall into the temptation of being spiritually unprepared when temptation comes. Instead, we can make sure that we do not allow ourselves to neglect prayer.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for the power of prayer. I thank you that it is the lifeblood of the Christian and that you want me to talk to you. Help me, Lord, to honor the reality that you are a loving and gracious God. Build in my heart a desire to cling to your Word and to spend more time with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 09 2024

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. :

Early in Acts, the disciples needed more people to help them properly minister to others. There had been a complaint that Jewish widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food. This concerned the disciples; but because they were called to give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word, they didn't have enough time to make sure the widows received food. To solve the problem, they appointed seven others who would ensure that money for food was properly distributed. Today, we can learn from how they prioritized in order to do what the Lord had put on their hearts.

The disciples knew what God expected of them, and they trusted that He would provide the right people to ensure that the money was distributed properly. Today, like the disciples, we are all called to give ourselves continually to prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and we can trust that whatever we do will be supported by prayer. Indeed, even those who the disciples appointed to oversee the distribution of the money would have been able to continually give themselves to prayer.

Today, if we're uncertain about our career path or job, we can know that we already have half of our job description: to pray continually. This means we devote whatever we do to the Lord and complete all our tasks in a way that honors Him. It also means that we should seek clarity about our role in the world. God had appointed the apostles to preach, but they had to seek Him and talk amongst themselves to find a solution to this problem that didn't take away from their time. God provided other men whom He had appointed to oversee the money. One man was not meant to do everything; each person had a pivotal role in the body. When we call out to the Lord for clarity about our role, He will provide it in His time.

Each of us has a role to play, and the most important role that we have is to be prayerful about everything. We can rest knowing that He will show us the next steps in His perfect timing and that He will always give the direction we need.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your care for me. I thank you that you have a place for me, even if I can't see it. I rest knowing that you are good and will show me the next steps in your timing. Help me to become a person who prays continually and who sees you in everything. I want each of my steps to honor you. In Jesus' name, amen.