LUKE 22:39-46 – And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
THEME OF THE DAY. THE WAR AGAINST PRAYER. Ask any believer of the place of prayer in the Christian life and we will hear the words “Vital, indispensable, necessary, a must”, and “cannot be ignored”. We would likely hear other words of urgency and importance. Now ask any believer what one area in the Christian life is of the greatest struggle for consistency and we will hear “prayer.” There is a reason the prayer meeting, if had at all in our churches, is the least attended. And when it comes to the daily discipline of prayer, I would venture to say it is the most neglected among believers. Why would that be so in our churches and lives? Three reasons.
First, prayer is often neglected because of the spiritual warfare involved. Satan does not mind if Christians read their Bibles, but he adamantly opposes Bible reading and prayer. Reading the scripture without a fervent and consistent prayer life may increase our knowledge of God but not our intimacy of knowing God. And without intimacy of fellowship with the Lord, our witness of Him and lives lived for Him lack power and realism. Prayer is the fuel that ignites the scripture and our relationship with the Lord. It will be one of the chief areas in our lives opposed by our spiritual foes. So, if we are struggling with consistency in prayer, remember there is a devil opposing all our efforts.
Another reason prayer is neglected is because we may say “Prayer is important”, but our actions betray our profession. I know this is hard truth, but it is truth. If we really believe prayer is “vital, indispensable, necessary, a must, and cannot be ignored”, then we must validate our belief by actions. And when it comes to anything in life, we will always make the time and discipline ourselves to do the things most important to us.
A third reason prayer is often neglected is revealed in today’s scripture – the weakness of our flesh. Jesus goes into the warfare of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and returns to His disciples. He finds them sleeping. His words to them was a rebuke – “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you enter not into temptation” (Luke 22:46). It is not a coincidence that we can be wide awake watching television, a movie, or doing something non-spiritual, but the moment we attempt to read our Bibles and pray, our eyes droop and sleepiness comes upon us. If ever we are to develop a prayer life like Jesus, like saints of old, there must be an all-out war brought against our flesh. We must learn the disciplined life that says, “No” to comfort and ease if we want a prayer life that brings us into close fellowship with the Lord.
Yes, prayer is a necessary part of the Christian life. It is also a war opposed by the devil and our flesh. May the Lord help us wage successful combat leading to a successful prayer life.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to value prayer as the chief means of seeking Your face.”
QUOTE: “Prayer is the invitation of God, obtained in salvation, to seek fellowship with our God.”