Today’s Devotion
Topic: Do This Yourself!
Text: Mark 14: 33- 34, 37, 40
33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?” 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Amen
The modern day believer is very sophisticated. He could pay cash for salvation if that was possible. We find prayer, fasting and “fellowshipping” so hard that we could pay others to do all that on our behalf. Some of us actually believe that God answers the prayers of certain specific people faster than ours.
Each time we are in crisis, we call on these “spiritual” brothers and sisters to bear them up in prayers while we go to sleep. Well, Mark 14: 32-40 is enlightening us to watch it, because that might just be a mistake.
Our Lord Jesus called His most trusted friends and told them a very shocking secret. He said “My soul is overwhelming with sorrow to the point of death, stay here and keep watch” (means pray with me). One would have thought they would get into intercession right away.
However Jesus returned and found them asleep… Yes, asleep! Not once, but twice! In fact on the third count, when the soldiers had actually come to arrest Jesus, they were still asleep.
Most of these spiritual brethren you have asked to pray with you don’t even remember what you shared with them until they see you.
For the better part the time, they are asleep! You see they can’t tell you they have not prayed about it, so they say they do. Verse 40 says their eyes were heavy but didn’t know how to tell Jesus.
Why do you never trust God to answer your prayers? When it is your cross, you are probably the only person to know its weight.
Bible commands us to bear with one another, so it’s good you share your problems with trusted Christian brethren. Most of them will bear with you in prayer until your breakthroughs is established.
But some others may not. So don’t share your prayer request with others and go and sleep. Pray about it too until God brings you the victory you desire. If you sleep, and no one else intercedes for you, your burden may become heavier, and you’ll bear it alone.
When Jesus prayed for himself, angels came to strengthen Him. Imagined if He had gone to sleep with the hope that the prayers of His friends would sustain Him.
Begin to pray now. Pray against anything that makes you find prayer difficult; such as laziness, fear, sin, sleep and extreme social behaviour (like unnecessary chatting, too much TV, quarrelling etc.). Watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation, especially as we welcome a new year.
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