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Devotional Tuesday July 20, 2004 |
Truth at First Light: The Words of Jesus Christ Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. --Matthew 26: 41 |
Truth at First Light: The Words of Jesus Christ, Copyright 2004 Jeff Pate and Branches of the Vine Ministries |
Watch and Pray We all have days where it seems that we're weaker than other days. Even the Lord Jesus went through a period when He was weaker than He was before. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew what was set before Him, which was the terrible suffering and torture before and on the cross. Here, Jesus displays the truth of His humanity through this sign of weakness; and to a greater extent the absolute commitment to obedience of His Father's will and purpose for Him. For Jesus, this was a time of great stress and warfare with the spirits of fear, doubt, and discouragement. The Bible plainly says that Jesus was tempted--asking the Father if this cup could pass from Him. [Matthew 26: 39] But what did the Lord do? He fell on His face and prayed to the Father for strength. Jesus' flesh was telling Him to take the easy way out, but His Spirit was telling Him, "This is the only way." The example of Jesus here is a great oneas all His examples are. When temptation comes and we find ourselves almost to the point of surrendering to it, fall on your face and pray for help from God. Notice that before, when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He immediately used the Word of God to fight the battle. Sometimes, in times of great temptation and stress, we forget to use the sword. However, this battle was so dire (His very life was on the line) that Jesus went directly to God and when He was strengthened, He was able to use the Word [your will be done] to overcome the temptation. Our lives should consist of regular [constant] prayer in order to maintain a close relationship with God. Jesus lived a life of prayer as illustrated in the gospels. Don't wait until temptation and tribulation comes to get in your prayer closet and cry out to God. Our destinies are dependent upon how well we are able to receive direction and revelation from God, and this is accomplished through a life of prayer. We are like a radio. We receive waves that are turned into either a clear channel or static, depending on how well we are tuned in to what is sending the waves. Prayer, fasting, and daily renewing of your minds will keep you tuned in to the clear channel so that when God sends you a message, you will be able to "hear" it clearly. When Jesus returned from the Mount of Transfiguration, He learned that His disciples were unsuccessful in casting a devil out of a young boy. After performing the work, the disciples asked the Lord in private: Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. [Mark 9: 28-29] His answer (prayer and fasting) is not something that is done at the time of trouble, but is a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. This is what gives you the power over the devil. |
