Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 352

December 18;      Mark 14:38;      42/260;       ‘Watch and Pray’

Mark 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 

Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Peter, James and John are with Him.  He asks them to pray for Him.  His time had come to become sin and sickness and His mind and flesh recoiled at the thought of being separated from His Father by sin and the filth of sin that was to come upon Him.  He asked His disciples to ‘watch and pray.’  They fell asleep, instead of praying, due to  emotional despair for Jesus.  Though specifically referencing this incident, we can learn much about prayer from what the Lord Jesus said.  ‘Watch’ means to stay awake, to be vigilant when you pray.  Nothing is more important than your time with the Lord in prayer, since prayer changes things and brings the Lord’s presence into the circumstances of life.  As here in Gethsemane, your emotions can wear you out and cause you to be lethargic or fall asleep.  Often the devil will try to tell you how tired you are or what a trying day you have had.  He will do what he can to prevent you from praying.  Do what you need to do to stay awake and focused.  Walk around, get a glass of water, splash your face with cold water to wake yourself up.  Prayer is too important for us not to be concentrating on our prayers to the Lord.  Watch also means to be aware of circumstances going on in the world, your family and your life.  If we watch, our prayers will remain current and the Lord will use our prayers mightily.  Jesus went on to say something profound, “you spirit is willing (it always is once Born Again) but your flesh is weak.”  Even when we are BA, we must discipline our flesh to obey our spirit.  We can do it.