Temptation Not To Pray

Let's go back to the moment when Jesus took Peter, James and John to the garden to watch and pray.

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” (Matthew 26:36–41, NKJV)

This encounter has always intrigued me. It is obvious to me that Jesus is trying to teach them about prayer.

He calls them to go with Him. He hand selected them to show them an intimate and difficult moment with the Father. He wanted them to learn from His example. He revealed His weakness to them and asked them to watch. He comes back to the place that He left them and finds them asleep.

He doesn’t just pat them on the back and say, poor guys you must be tired, here’s a pillow go ahead and take a nap. He reminds them of what He asked them to do and what expects of them. Then He says that the way to keep from entering temptation is to watch and pray.

This is where we need to take a lesson.

Temptation is going to come. If we are ready and watching for it we can past the test by standing against it and doing the will of God. If we are sleeping then we are already off balance and about to be defeated.

1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

Jesus then makes this statement, "The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak."

Now you may read this and think like I did…”He said the flesh is weak…well my flesh is strong…Jesus must have gotten it wrong”

He is making a statement of contrast and comparison.

The spirit is strong and willing to stand against the temptation BUT the flesh is weak and lazy when it comes to standing against the temptation.

Prayer is the place where we learn to exercise our spirit over our flesh.

Jesus shows us here when He was choosing to do the Father’s will that He had to go back three times to refocus His soul and choose to do His Father’s will.

And if Jesus had to put His flesh down so do we.

The temptation to do our own will comes to our flesh…it sounds good to our mind…it plays on our emotions.

And we have to be ready and awake, we have to be strong spiritually to overcome the lazy flesh.

We have to anticipate temptation but close the door to temptation!

This is doing the will of God in prayer.