Prayer Gives You the Strength to Perform
Despite Jesus' pre-eminence, despite him being with God in all his glory before all this took place, despite knowing full well he'd be risen from the dead and still have that glory again.
He could not face these things without PRAYER.
It was PRAYER that gave him the strength to perform his duty in the Lord.
It's exactly the same for you and I - we are going to be found wanting - unless we are committing ourselves to the Lord in prayer.
Matthew 26:36-37 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
I suppose we should set the background scene a bit.
They'd been busy...
they all had extremely busy days leading up to this.
They had just shared the last supper and we read this scripture and think to ourselves why couldn't they watch with the Lord instead of falling to sleep.
They would have been dead tired.
I'm sure we've all been there and know what it's like when you are absolutely dead tired.
So when you're that tired it is extremely difficult to stay awake, especially when you sit down.
While you're walking about it's okay but as soon as you sit down you're gone.
Well here Jesus disciples would have been feeling like that.
They've had such a busy time of it and they would have found it so hard to stay awake.
Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Now this is such a terrible time and here is Jesus confiding this information.
Look my soul is sorrowful I'm close to death.
Watch and pray Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.
And this is a BIG scripture for you and I to take home today.
WATCH and PRAY, that ye enter not into temptation.
You can turn that around and say if you're not watching and your not praying you will fall, you will suffer, you will do it tough because of temptation.
Temptations are going to come upon you that you can't handle.
WATCH and PRAY so that you don't enter into the temptation.
Temptation is going to come, and if you're watching and you're praying you will be able to overcome things, you're going to be able to conquer things.
But if you're not praying you are in danger of entering into the temptation.
We want to avoid these things don't we? Then be praying.
I know in my life and I know in everyone else's life that when we are not praying difficulties become too hard to handle.
Learn from experience.
Don't neglect your prayer life!
He could not face these things without PRAYER.
It was PRAYER that gave him the strength to perform his duty in the Lord.
It's exactly the same for you and I - we are going to be found wanting - unless we are committing ourselves to the Lord in prayer.
Matthew 26:36-37 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
I suppose we should set the background scene a bit.
They'd been busy...
they all had extremely busy days leading up to this.
They had just shared the last supper and we read this scripture and think to ourselves why couldn't they watch with the Lord instead of falling to sleep.
They would have been dead tired.
I'm sure we've all been there and know what it's like when you are absolutely dead tired.
So when you're that tired it is extremely difficult to stay awake, especially when you sit down.
While you're walking about it's okay but as soon as you sit down you're gone.
Well here Jesus disciples would have been feeling like that.
They've had such a busy time of it and they would have found it so hard to stay awake.
Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Now this is such a terrible time and here is Jesus confiding this information.
Look my soul is sorrowful I'm close to death.
Watch and pray Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.
And this is a BIG scripture for you and I to take home today.
WATCH and PRAY, that ye enter not into temptation.
You can turn that around and say if you're not watching and your not praying you will fall, you will suffer, you will do it tough because of temptation.
Temptations are going to come upon you that you can't handle.
WATCH and PRAY so that you don't enter into the temptation.
Temptation is going to come, and if you're watching and you're praying you will be able to overcome things, you're going to be able to conquer things.
But if you're not praying you are in danger of entering into the temptation.
We want to avoid these things don't we? Then be praying.
I know in my life and I know in everyone else's life that when we are not praying difficulties become too hard to handle.
Learn from experience.
Don't neglect your prayer life!
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