"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation". He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done". An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation"."
Luke 22 v 39-46
Jesus told the disciples "pray that you will not fall into temptation". Then he prays himself and returns to find them, not praying, but asleep.
According to Jesus, staying from temptation is more important than sleep, it's more important than comfort. Therefore the question: Why are you sleeping? Jesus would have known how tired the disciples truly were on this night. But he knew this was a time when it was very important for them to pray so they would not fall into temptation. It was for this time.
Jesus himself slept in the boat in the storm and that was not wrong- it was not this time.
There is a time when prayer is more important than sleep, than other things. That is when the battle for temptation is high.
Temptation was high at this time for Jesus- so he prayed. The temptation was to not take the cup. The prayer was to submit the cup to God. Jesus pleaded the cup be taken away. He didn't reject the cup without his fathers permission. But the father made it clear the Jesus must drink the cup. Jesus accepted Gods will and received strength.
Through prayer, we too, can submit ourselves to the will of the father, aligning with the holy spirit's desires within us- we can accept whatever God's will is for the situation, and receive the strength we need.
There are things we really wish we could do, but we shouldn't do. Big things. To avoid, we pray.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The spirit is willing that all be saved- but the flesh doesn't want to evangelize. The spirit is willing that we are self-controlled- but the flesh wants no restrictions. The spirit is willing that we step into our gifts and use them and grow and stretch in them- but the flesh wants the comfort zone, the safe zone.
Through prayer, we too, can submit ourselves to the will of the father, aligning with the holy spirit's desires within us- we can accept whatever God's will is for the situation, and receive the strength we need.
What we need to know is, is it the time...to get in high gear of intense, purposeful and priority prayer. Pray for wisdom to know when it's ok to sleep in the storm, and the wisdom to know when you are in danger of the storm coming upon you if you do...
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