Read
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:40-41
Reflect
Jesus knew that the end was near. He had celebrated a special meal with his closest friends, and now He needed to spend some time in prayer to prepare for what was coming – his death on the cross. So He took His very closest friends – Peter, James and John – into the Garden of Gethsemane with Him to pray. While He prayed, the others kept watch … or did they?
Three times, He left to pray, and three times, He came back and found them sleeping. It was frustrating enough that He even asked the question, “Couldn’t you even stay awake with me for an hour?” (Obviously, this was a question that didn’t need to be answered. Jesus knew the answer already – the three had fallen asleep three times, so, no, they definitely couldn’t stay awake for Him at all!)
Today, we live in a world that lives for itself. We entertain ourselves constantly, and most of us keep our focus on anything other than God. We’re a busy people – far too busy for God. Can’t we even spare an hour for our Maker each day? A half-hour? Fifteen minutes? Five minutes?
Most people don’t spend even five minutes a day in prayer, let alone Bible study. It’s no wonder that so few people know anything about God or the Bible.
How about you? How much time do you give God each day? This week, think about how you can give the Lord a little more of your day. After all, you just can’t build a relationship with anyone if you don’t spend time getting to know them.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
