Prepare through prayer

“Can’t…you stay awake with me for just one hour?” Mt 26:40 CEV

In Gethsemane, Jesus “came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, ‘Can’t any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak’” (vv. 40-41 CEV). Jesus was just hours from the cross, and He asked His disciples to pray for Him. Imagine His disappointment when He found them sleeping! Perhaps they didn’t get enough rest the night before. Maybe they were worn out from a hard day’s work. We have all been victims of drowsiness, so we shouldn’t be surprised that they fell asleep, but we are! We’re shocked because it was such an important night. This night, more than any other, required the discipline of prayer. But the disciples missed a great opportunity to encourage and strengthen Jesus in His hour of need. They missed an opportunity to strengthen themselves as well. Satan knows if he can keep you from prayer, you will be powerless. He is the master of distraction. Think how often he has robbed you of your quiet time with God by using things like TV, the telephone, the internet, a messy house, your to-do list, your wandering mind, your heavy eyelids. Your quiet time with God isn’t something you try to “fit into” your schedule; it must be something you prioritize, or it won’t happen. The King James Version says, “Pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (v. 41). You don’t know what each day holds, but through prayer and spending time in God’s Word, you can prepare your heart for whatever life throws at you.

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