Matthew 26:40-41

Prayer is a lot of things. It is surrender, it is praise, it is interceding for others. But don’t ever forget that prayer is also work. What I mean is that prayer takes effort and discipline. Because the flesh is weak and because we have an enemy that actively opposes us having a vibrant prayer life, we find that real prayer does not come easy. We often just don’t feel like going deep with God. We are too busy. We are too superficial. We are too tired. The truth is that it takes planning ahead and blocking off time and saturating your soul in His Word and then choosing to show up at your appointed time with God to make prayer work. And not just one time, but regularly as a rhythm of life. So lets wake up and get to the good work of vibrant prayer!

PASSAGE: Matthew 26:40-41 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

PAUSE: Our flesh would rather sleep than confront the messy decisions of life. If not sleep, we escape with our addictions, our binges, and our passions. Jesus encouraged us to pray against those temptations that wage within our flesh.   

PRAYER: Father, deliver me from evil. Lead me not into temptation. Create within my soul a desire to be constant in prayer and to fight against my flesh.