Stay Awake

Friday, December 19 2014

A German bank employee was in the middle of transferring 62.40 euros from a customer´s bank account when he suddenly nodded off. His "power nap" took place while his finger was still on the "2" key, resulting in a 222 million euro (175 million pounds) transfer into the customer´s account. The sleepy state of the worker nearly became a nightmare for the bank, all because he wasn´t being alert.

Jesus warned His disciples that if they didn´t remain alert, they too would make a costly mistake. He took the men to a place called Gethsemane to spend some time in prayer (Luke 22:40). As He was praying, sorrow washed over Him - sadness to the point of distress. It was unlike anything He had ever known in His earthly life.

Jesus asked Peter, James and John to stay awake with him (Matthew 26:38). Yet, in His moment of greatest need, He found them snoozing (vv. 40-41). Their failure to give the Master the support He needed would leave them defenceless when the real temptation was upon them. He charged them to remain alert and expectant so that they would not fall into temptation - the temptation of denying Him. The disciples needed spiritual vigilance, which, in this case, included physical self-control.

Today, the Saviour calls us to live out the same spiritual vigilance that He desired from the first disciples. Staying awake and avoiding the most costly mistake of denying Jesus means spending more time on our knees. We must devote our entire being "to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart" (Colossians 4:2), to pray in the power of "the Spirit at all times and on every occasion" (Ephesians 6:18) and to "be earnest and disciplined in [our] prayers" until He returns (1 Peter 4:7). - Marvin Williams.

Read
Matthew 26:36-46
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 farther, 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."
He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Revelation 3:2-3
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Question to Ponder
If Jesus graded your prayer life at this moment, would He commend you for your diligence or rebuke you for sleeping on the job?
In what part of your prayer life do you need to become more disciplined?

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 issue