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Mark 14:35-38
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
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? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
New International Version (NIV)
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A friend of mine once joked with me, “I can resist anything except temptation.” Sometimes our humor reveals a truth. We not only confess our sins to one another but also our struggles. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, when a person is alone with their sin, they are most alone. Don’t stay alone. Share with a prayer partner the struggles you face. What is the antidote for temptation?
Jesus’ temptations did not end after forty days in the wilderness. Remember Satan left him until a more opportune time. There in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was tempted again. He asked his Father to remove the cup of the crucifixion from him, if possible. Then he surrendered unconditionally to his Father’s will.
Remember that Jesus was not alone in the garden. Eleven disciples were there. The inner circle went further into the garden with him. He shared his agony with them and asked them to watch. They fell asleep. Jesus chided Peter asking him why he could not watch for a single hour. Then Jesus offered him the antidote for temptation: Watch and pray so that you do not fall. Peter’s failures later in the evening traced back to his failure at the point of prayer. So often, so do ours.
Remember the words of the hymn, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” Before we face temptation, we must prepare through prayer. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you,” wrote James in 4:7-8. We come near to God by talking to him in prayer. “Temptations lose their power,” when Christ is near. We know his nearness through prayer.
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Pray with me:
Father, we awaken today with a mighty strength. We turn to you because you alone know our every weakness and the burdens we must bear. Before we do anything else, we come to you. We run to you. We kneel before you. With Jesus we pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” You know we will be tempted today. Keep us from failing, we ask in the matchless power of Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Join us in memorizing the Word. Scripture for this week:
Matthew 5:43-44
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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| Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG
We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week. In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.
Joyfully,
Duane
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