Matthew 26:36-41; Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little further he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me, yet not as I will but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.”
When we pray, we open ourselves to an unlimited potential for God to work in our lives. I can remember countless times where God intervened with miraculous wonders in my life just because I humbly approached Gods throne of grace on my knees. Since the day I asked the Lord in my life He saved me, called me, counseled me, loved me and led me directly to his grace. We should desire to pray consistently because when we were on the verge of death he alone saved us, He alone loved us unconditionally. Much of the power of prayer is not in its one time quantity but it’s in its consistency. You got to get into a place where you can pray consistent daily. If we, Gods children don’t learn how to pray consistently, what will happen is that Satan will send his army to destroy our hope, faith, and love for Christ. The greatest ambition of Satan is to let thorns grow over the path to your prayer chamber.
The challenges of prayer come when you let your flesh do the talking instead of your spirit. The bible says that God is Spirit so you must come to him in spirit. Remember the Pharisees and how they prayed. They prayed in their flesh out loud so that they may be recognized and glorified. They prayed so that many others would hear their complex prayers showing their holiness. Galatians 5:16 says; “so I say, live by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” When you come to Jesus your spirit is alive. And the more time you spend with Jesus the more your spirit directs your flesh. In fact your spirit will rule your flesh so much so that your flesh will become an instrument for your spirit to use so that Gods name can be glorified. If you walk in spirit, you will live in spirit. You will be dead to this world but alive to the kingdom. No power or desire here on earth will be able to overcome you. The correct Greek translation for the word walk is to make due use of opportunity. In other words take advantage of the opportunities God places in front of you by walking with Him in His presence.
If you think you’re praying enough, you’re not doing enough. It’s like a relationship. I can’t come to you and say; “I think we spent enough time for this year and therefore we will go our separate ways and see each other next year.” We both know that our friendship would crumble very quickly and it will not last until next year. It’s the same with prayer. If you come to God only on Sundays you will never get to know God. God asks us to come seek him daily and He will open or hearts and minds to a spiritual relationship. When you come to God in prayer you have to believe that what you receive from Him on that day is what you need for the day. When we pray, we should pray open hearted and open minded allowing an opportunity for heaven to invade earth through us. I strongly believe that a person committed to a prayer life with God, will impact and influence the world, rather than the world impacting or influencing that person.
Psalm 19:14 says: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O lord, my rock and my redeemer.” IF we Gods children learn to conceal God’s word within our heart, if we delight in the statutes of the Most High God will He not graciously give us understanding and direction? Will He not pour out his unfathomable wisdom upon us? The unfolding of God’s word gives light; it gives understanding to everything, shouldn’t we then long to hear his words? Shouldn’t we open our mouths panting, desiring more and more each day just to sit and pray to God? OH! How WE should love to come and stand in the presence of the Lord! Only then will His face shine upon us teaching us His ways. Don’t be like most people who wonder why God won’t answer their prayers when they themselves forget God all day and remember him just for a brief moment late at night when they are too tired to spend quality time with God.
Matthew 26 verse 40 says; “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” The word watch means “a state of being alert.” God knows our flesh is weak. He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. But He created our flesh which was born to this world and in this world. Then He gave us his own power, the power of the Holy Spirit to live by. Only through his Spirit can we live a life pleasing to Christ. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 4:2; “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” When a person devotes themselves to prayer being watchful in all that they do, an amazing thing begins to happen within them. A surge of immeasurable power begins to flow within them allowing them to live a Christ-like life. It is at this point of a Christian’s life that God begins to do the unimaginable impossible work that He laid aside for that particular Christian. It is at this point where the Christians spirit takes control of their flesh bringing all praise and glory to our Heavenly Father.
