Monday's Blessing
Mark 14:37-38
"Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall in temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
There is a struggle in each of our lives. It could be with emotional instability, poor outlook, or even weight loss. I know many individuals out there who have a weakness for foods. In fact, this is the culprit that wrecks havoc on a healthy-mindset. Some people delude themselves into believing that carbohydrates, poor choices, and create a creative inspiration.
For those that struggle with emotional instability, there is always a ready made excuse waiting to happen. These individuals often blame others for their short comings casting a veil over any reality that could come from growth. Temptation is what prompts us making it impossible to see the truth.
Jesus recommends prayer as a guard against such temptations. He spoke those words in the garden of Gethsemane. After the Upper Room meal he told his twelve disciples not only that one of them would betray him, but they would all fall away once he was captured. Peter stated that was impossible, but Jesus said he would disown him three times before the rooster crowed that night. Judas had already left to inform the chief priests of where to find him.
So when Jesus and his disciples entered the garden area he asked Peter, James, and John to be with him and keep watch as he prayed. When he went away from them, he came back to find them sleeping. "Could you not keep watch for an hour?" he asked. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
I know what it is like to doze off while praying. I know how it is to start a new diet only to fall away with blind temptation and excuses making me weak. But prayer is our greatest weapon for fighting temptation that comes in so many forms. When we are praying we are focused on seeking what God wants, what he can do, and who he is. We are not lost in a discussion about our shortcomings making excuses for ourselves as to why we do the things we do.
What you will should be our short prayer during these times. Not what we will. What you will takes the spot light off our own sinfulness. It puts it back in God's lap so he can fix it before we make fools of ourselves. Because in honesty, those weak-minded excuses we make can be seen through by our friends can't they? Who do we think we are really fooling in the end?
Mark 14:37-38
"Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall in temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
There is a struggle in each of our lives. It could be with emotional instability, poor outlook, or even weight loss. I know many individuals out there who have a weakness for foods. In fact, this is the culprit that wrecks havoc on a healthy-mindset. Some people delude themselves into believing that carbohydrates, poor choices, and create a creative inspiration.
For those that struggle with emotional instability, there is always a ready made excuse waiting to happen. These individuals often blame others for their short comings casting a veil over any reality that could come from growth. Temptation is what prompts us making it impossible to see the truth.
Jesus recommends prayer as a guard against such temptations. He spoke those words in the garden of Gethsemane. After the Upper Room meal he told his twelve disciples not only that one of them would betray him, but they would all fall away once he was captured. Peter stated that was impossible, but Jesus said he would disown him three times before the rooster crowed that night. Judas had already left to inform the chief priests of where to find him.
So when Jesus and his disciples entered the garden area he asked Peter, James, and John to be with him and keep watch as he prayed. When he went away from them, he came back to find them sleeping. "Could you not keep watch for an hour?" he asked. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
I know what it is like to doze off while praying. I know how it is to start a new diet only to fall away with blind temptation and excuses making me weak. But prayer is our greatest weapon for fighting temptation that comes in so many forms. When we are praying we are focused on seeking what God wants, what he can do, and who he is. We are not lost in a discussion about our shortcomings making excuses for ourselves as to why we do the things we do.
What you will should be our short prayer during these times. Not what we will. What you will takes the spot light off our own sinfulness. It puts it back in God's lap so he can fix it before we make fools of ourselves. Because in honesty, those weak-minded excuses we make can be seen through by our friends can't they? Who do we think we are really fooling in the end?
RSS Feed
