Watch and Pray

​Matthew 26:40-41 ~ “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”
 
Has Jesus commanded you to watch with Him and has He come to you and found you sleeping?
 
The disciples of our LORD were drowsy from the long day’s effort, their eyes were heavy, and they struggled against their need for rest. There are times for rest, and sleep to the laborer is sweet (see Ecclesiastes 5:12). But it was not the time for sleep when the LORD had commanded them to keep watch (see Matthew 26:37). The LORD returned to His disciples and asked, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?” Soon the LORD Jesus would be taken away, and this was not the moment to be drowsy.
 
Lest we forget, the enemy is always about. We are told this by Peter in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I could imagine that Peter had this very garden experience in mind when the Holy Spirit had him write those words. Having entered Judas, the enemy of God was right at hand when the LORD was arrested in the garden. He is always on the prowl, seeking out those who might be unaware enough to be torn by his claws. But the LORD Jesus, in this text, has given us what is needed to avoid the dangerous temptations that surround us.
 
And that is the first thing I want to point out from our text today: there are temptations abounding. Jesus commanded the disciples to watch and pray for this very reason, “that you may not enter into temptation.” What was the temptation for the disciples? They were tempted to sleep when commanded to keep watch. But such is the nature of temptations. They are designed to lead you away from faithful obedience to God and, instead, fulfill your own desires. For example, in the garden, Adam and Eve were tempted to eat when commanded to refrain (see Genesis 3:1-3). Jesus said in Luke 17:1, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” But be aware of this, beloved: you will not be tempted to do something that your own heart does not desire. James tells us, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14).
 
So, what has Jesus commanded us to do? We are to, “watch and pray.” To “watch” is to be vigilant and wakeful, to be alert and aware of your surroundings. We can be at rest when we are comfortable in our minds that there are no dangers lurking. But no soldier sleeps when there are enemies about. Why be watchful? Simple, in order to facilitate our prayers. Jesus had just departed a brief way and was vexed beyond sorrow—with sweat like blood (see Luke 22:44). If they had been watchful, they would have known to pray to the Father on behalf of the LORD. Peter addresses this necessity in 1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” It is not enough for us to be watchful. We must be prayerful as well, using our awareness of situations around us in order to pray according to the will of God, keeping our minds and hearts fixed on Christ so that we would not fall into the temptations that are always near.
 
With this command, the LORD reminds us of our condition. We read in our text for today, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” True believers have in them the desire to honor the LORD Jesus and obey His commands. The disciples were overcome by their own weakness of the flesh. And, dear ones, many of God’s people suffer the same when they do not watch and pray. The Apostle Paul states in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” I am sure that you have, as well as all other believers, discovered that the sinful nature—the flesh—still possesses the means to lure you away after desires that are contrary to Christ and His word. He’s commanded one thing, and you are tempted toward another. For a simple example that perhaps all of God’s people would recognize: have you been commanded to gather with the fellowship of God’s people (Hebrews 10:25) and yet have you allowed your own desires for worldly activities lead you away from that obedience?
 
This brings us back to our original question today: Has Jesus commanded you to watch with Him and has He come to you and found you sleeping? Then rouse yourself, dear Christian. Let us all be fully awake, watching and praying so that those temptations will not overcome us again.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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