32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 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 delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:32-42, New International Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context
Thanks for your thoughtful comments again yesterday!
The Thursday of Passion Week is called Maundy Thursday because of the commands Jesus issued during The Last Supper. However, instead of focusing on the Last Supper, we will be extracting our lesson from another activity on Maundy Thursday – Jesus at Gethsemane. The lesson relates to vigilant praying.
We sometimes pray with our eyes closed to avoid distractions. However, keeping our eyes “open” in terms of being vigilant is a wise thing to do when we pray. That certainly was the case when Jesus told Peter, James, and John to watch and pray and modelled the behavior. The admonition is still very relevant to us today, especially as we engage in spiritual warfare daily.
Bible Passage
Please study the passage above. Consider Jesus’ command to His disciples, the challenge faced by the disciples, and the consequences of not watching and praying that Jesus predicts.
Question
What personal lessons about watching and praying do you take from today’s passage?
Please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.
April 6, 2023 at 6:29 am
The lesson I take from today’s passage is, we need to pray and spend time in God’s Word. Having this quality time with God should prevent us from a life of falling into temptation, or not living the life we are supposed to live as followers of Christ.
April 6, 2023 at 7:42 am
The question brings to mind a hymn which says “ Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” We’ve got to be extremely focused, vigilant, persistent, not wavering as we bombard the throne of Christ.
April 6, 2023 at 10:11 am
The lesson I take from today’s passage is that regardless of what we pray for, we need to be mindful that it is not “my will but Yours be done” as Jesus prayed. God does not always answer our prayers in the way we want but our obedience to His will for us will keep us in His peace and protect us from falling into the temptations around us.
April 6, 2023 at 12:14 pm
From today’s passage, the lesson I take from it, is that we have to be vigilant in praying and rebuking the enemy (satan) to ruin our daily fellowship with the Lord. Making sure we always invite or ask the Holy Spirit to reign in us every single day. For me, I have to always remind myself that the Lord is with me and will not forsake me especially in times I could be very vulnerable. It is when we are too busy and preoccupied with many things that the enemy wants to distract us and fall into sin/temptations. Praying without ceasing and reflecting on God’s word would help us and would keep us from letting believers witness us stumble, when we get off the tract or distracted. This happened to me before, and only God’s grace and mercy could help me forgive or correct my mistake, and to bounce back, move forward and start all over again. It is important to be constantly aware that the faithful believers will always be tested and we should be careful not to fall prey on the enemy’s schemes.