Sleep clouded their eyes at the sudden wake-up call. Their slumber fogged brains struggled to catch up. They hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Truly, they hadn’t. When Jesus told them to pray for strength in the face of coming temptation, not one question had crossed their lips. No one argued. No one commented. With Jesus’ warnings of impending perilous events still echoing in their ears, they immediately dropped to their knees and began entreating Heaven. Until they fell asleep. Kneeling right where He left them, Jesus would later come back to find them. Their prayerful posture still intact. Hands folded. Heads bowed. Eyes closed. In sleep.
Their exhaustion was understandable. It had been a long day. They had ticked the boxes on quite a formidable Passover checklist. Slaughtered the sacrificial lamb. Found and secured a place to hold the feast. Prepared the meal. Set the table. Served. It might have been bearable had the duties been only physical. They weren’t. The conversations and events around the table forced each man to engage in a formidable amount of mental calisthenics. Their physically weary brains tried desperately to keep up with the flow of words and symbolism. Wine and bread signifying Jesus’ body and blood. Dire warnings of His imminent departure. The suckerpunch of a traitor sitting at table with them. And that ridiculous squabble about who was the greatest among them. That was uncomfortable. More for some than others. Likely less for Peter than the coming revelation.
They were all surprised by Jesus’ stunning verbiage to Simon Peter. His strong warning effectively quieted any useless chatter among them. As heavy silence enveloped the group, they stared at one another in disbelief. Peter was headstrong and wild. A bit crazy. A lot impulsive. They all knew it. Still, no one doubted his devotion. No one wondered if he truly loved Jesus. They knew he did, impulsive behaviors notwithstanding. Yet the idea that the evil one was stalking him, seeking him, doing everything in his power to gain control of him was alarming. Terrifying. It shook them to their very souls. If the evil one was stalking Peter, was he also after them? Would Peter really deny knowing Jesus? Would the knowledge change his course? Would Peter be friend or foe in a few short hours? And what about them? What about the men Jesus hadn’t mentioned by name? Were they also going to fall prey to insurmountable temptation? Would they give in? Or were their souls strong enough to resist? Were their hearts more devoted? In a moment of quiet introspection, surely each man weighed his own heart to see exactly what was there, suss out the weaknesses, shore up the sagging edges of his own spiritual stability. They all wanted to remain faithful. They wanted to believe they had what it took to stay when everyone else left. In fact, every single man swore he would.
Not one of them did. Jesus warned them of the fact. They would all eventually turn tail and run. When it came to the most horrific night of His earthly life, Jesus would stand alone. Alone before Caiaphas and the council, alone before Pilate, alone before a ravenous crowd out for blood. Alone to lay down His life on the cross in payment for Judas’ defection, Peter’s denial, our depravity. Alone in that moment to ensure we would never be alone no matter the temptation, trial, tribulation or tragedy. Yet, before running that final, unavoidable gauntlet, Jesus had one last call for His disciples then and us now. A call to prayer.
Leading them out into what must surely have been commonly referred to by the disciples as Jesus’ personal prayer garden, He solemnly spoke these words. “Watch. Be on guard. Pay attention. Temptation is lurking everywhere. Pray that it does not overtake you.” The words drip with urgency. There’s an insistence, a gravity, an intensity in them. Jesus desperately wants the disciples to hear what He’s saying and do His bidding. Not just in that moment, not just for the next few hours, but in every moment, every day, for the rest of their lives. Why? Because temptation was most assuredly coming. (Matthew 26:17-75; Mark 14:12-72; Luke 22:7-23:25)
Over the next few hours and days, their faith would be tested like it had never been tested before. They would be given cause to question, to wonder, to pause. Times would arise when they would be tempted to forget to Whom they belonged, Who their Father was, and how much power was available through just the mention of His name. As the cry of, “It is finished,” rang out from the cross, they would need to remember and employ the words of the prayer Jesus had taught them to pray in the beginning of His ministry. They’d need to repeat each phrase. Often. So do we. (Matthew 6:7-12; John 19:30;
Our world isn’t so much different than the world the disciples inhabited. In spite of advancements in plumbing, lighting, and technology, humanity is still the same. Busy. Tired. Overwhelmed by the events and voices around us. Dozing off when we should be on guard. Tending to sleep when we should be in prayer. There is but one significant difference. The disciples were physically asleep. We are spiritually so.
With few exceptions, the days of crowded mourners’ benches and prayer meetings stretching into the wee hours are simply a dusty memory. Many churches have completely removed the altar rail, choosing instead to ask seekers to quietly approach a staff member or write their need on a card so someone can get back with them. There’s no sense of urgency. No desire to approach God immediately. No time in our busy secular schedules to gather and pray for needs, personal, communal, or national. Because of the lack of time spent on our knees, our religion has become rote, our spirituality lukewarm, our souls adrift from the alertness true prayer affords. Temptation is kicking our collective behinds because we have chosen not to obey the command of Jesus. Our watching is passive. Our prayer lives are tepid. Our flesh has proven it is absolutely weak. We are an exact image of what Jesus was attempting to help us avoid when He first spoke the urgent call to prayer. Apparently, we need a wake-up call. Just like the disciples.
Regardless of what form of exhaustion made them doze off, Jesus found them that way. Eyes closed. Heads lolled to the side. Mouths slack. Soft snores wafting across the cool night air. Nudging the toe of his sandal against their relaxed feet, Jesus woke them. He had to. Temptation was coming. Right then. The opportunity to remain faithful or run in fear was fast approaching. They needed to pray. Right then. Because, both then and now, the only way to stand against the temptation to run, buckle, or bow is prayer.
In a world brimming with temptation to do exactly those things, Jesus’ words ring out again. Stay alert. Be on guard. Watch yourselves. The evil one wasn’t just preying on Peter, he’s stalking you too. He will take advantage of any little piece of bitterness or unforgiveness to wreck your soul. He will play on worldly desires to draw you aside. He’ll offer you the world, but give you hell instead. So pray. Bombard heaven. Don’t quit. Don’t stop communicating with the Father. Even when you are tired. Even when you are overwhelmed. Even when you are embarrassed, worried, or scared. Just keep praying. You are not alone. The God of strength and power is coming to your rescue. He will never let you down. So, don’t drop your guard. Don’t lower your voice. Don’t back down. No matter the situation. Just keep praying. (I Peter 5:8; Hebrews 12:15; Psalm 56: 3-4, 8-11; Psalm 145:18-19; II Corinthians 12:8-10; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18)
It never ceases to amaze me how GOD gives you these incredible messages that touch so many lives. Every time I read one it brings me under such conviction and that is good! We need to be brought under conviction at times especially when we get slack in our prayer times.
Thank you for these amazing messages! Keep up the good work!