Daily Devotional

Watch and pray. Many Christians know how to pray but they are not spiritually awake. When Jesus addressed Peter in this incident he was not telling Peter to just stay awake and pray. But Jesus words were something we need to examine a little closer.

The parallel version in Luke 22 says, "When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow." Sleeping from sorrow. Jesus had just broken the news to them that He was going to be handed over to the scribes and Pharisees and that He was going to be crucified. John 16:6 says, "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart."

And because of this sorrow, the disciples slept when they were most needed in prayer. Even when Jesus assured them that their sorrow would be turned into joy, they could not shake off that sorrow.

What am I getting at here? Well, what dart is Satan throwing at you to keep you from watching? Any believer can pray. But are you awake and are you aware?

The Greek word for watch is gray-gor-yoo-o It means to be vigilant, watchful, awake, to GIVE STRICT ATTENTION TO, to be cautious. 1 Peter 5:8 says the same thing — be vigilant and be sober lest you be devoured.

If you want to be an effective intercessor or prayer warrior you need to watch. The disciples slept because they were unaware that Satan had filled their hearts with sorrow. This sorrow blinded them to the need to pray with Jesus. Today, endeavour to watch and pray. If God got you up in the early hours of the morning, would you watch and pray? Will you stand in the gap?