Alert and Pray

Know that you will be tempted. Know that you have stuff--areas of our life where you will fall into sin. Know that you have to look for the areas of your life where God wants to grow you. To know all those things you have to be alert and watch for the schemes of the devil to tempt you, to entice you to fall into sin and to stunt your growth. You have to daily pray and desperately seek God to give you the strength to resist temptation, to keep you from sin and to grow you.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter , James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is over whelmed with sorrow to the point of death,“ he said to them. “ Stay here and keep watch.”
Going a little further, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but
what you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Once more He went away and prayed the same thing. When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to Him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come.
Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Mark 14:32-42

Jesus asked something simple--watch and pray. He asked three times because His disciples fell asleep three times. In the end even they didn’t have an excuse for their behavior. In the end it was the very hour that Jesus needed them to pray for Him. The very hour is here. Don’t fall asleep. There is no excuse.

Jesus said, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” We can’t afford to be weak. We are in the middle of battle with the enemy. Satan’s schemes will change in the battle. Your job is to be alert and pray. Alert means to be watchful and ready. Pray means to implore or beseech--desperately seek God.

In Ephesians it says…Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible this is why it is said.

Wake up, O sleeper
Rise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.

Our Heavenly Father is light. Wake up and stay awake and be filled with light---filled with the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father give me a hunger to stay awake. If there are areas in my life where I am sleeping wake me up. Surround me with friends who are awake. I don’t want to miss the very hour. Fill me with light and use me to give that light away. In Your precious name I pray. Amen