watch – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Watch and pray

During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)

In the last three chapters of Luke, three times I’ve noticed Jesus going off alone to pray (4:42; 5:16).

Chapter 5 makes clear that this was a regular practice of his.

I was thinking this morning how much I need to follow his example.

I have a Father who loves me and wants to touch those around me. How alert am I to what the Father is doing around me?

I have an Enemy who hates me and wants to destroy me and those I love. How alert am I to what Satan is scheming?

Jesus commands us to watch and pray. (Matthew 26:41)

Paul tells us to do the same (Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2) as does Peter (1 Peter 4:7).

But am I doing that?

Father, let me not be spiritually oblivious. Teach me to watch and pray as Jesus did.

Watching and praying

Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning.

Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!” (Mark 13:35-37)

He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”…Then he came and found them sleeping. (Mark 14:34, 37)

It’s interesting to me that in the garden of Gethsemane, the disciples lived out the parable Jesus had just told them.

In the parable and in the garden, Jesus told them, “Be alert. Stay awake.” (In the Greek, those two commands are exactly the same.)

But when their Master returned, the disciples were sleeping. Why? Luke tells us the reason: they were exhausted from grief. (Luke 22:45)

Grief from hearing Jesus was leaving them (John 16:5-6).

Grief that one of them would betray him (Mark 14:18).

Grief that all would forsake him. (Mark 14:27)

And because of their grief, they failed to watch and pray. So when the time of trial came, they fell. (50)

Sometimes, we are so burdened by our problems that we say, “I can’t pray. I’m too exhausted. I’m feeling too weak.”

But it’s precisely during those times that we need to watch and pray the most.

Jesus was exhausted. He was emotionally drained. But in the garden, he watched and he prayed. So when the time of trial came, he was able to stand.

Are you feeling exhausted? Are you feeling emotionally drained? Now especially is the time to watch and pray.