FAITH CAPSULE: Is your prayer hour that sleeping engages you as a partner?

Luke 22:39-53

In this world of today more than in the past there is a need to be awake and be spiritually awake. To be awake is the need to be on guard watching and praying. Few scriptural verses emphasized on the need to watch and pray stating, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) It is written in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
The word warned, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7) Sleep will work as the agent of the enemy by taking man away from watching and praying. Jesus warned his disciples against sleeping in the place of watching and praying. Without doubt, a non- praying believer is a sleeping believer. Jesus at the hour of prayer, His disciples contracted sleeping as the Bible recorded, “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:37-38)
Is your prayer hour that sleeping engages you as a partner?
Jesus’ disciples could not stay up in prayer. To be steadily awake at the hour of prayer is the evidence of living as a spiritually awake believer. Jesus attempted not to excuse His disciples to be sleeping at the hour of prayer. Jesus went back and forth to keep His disciples awake at the prayer hour. Twice, Jesus could not keep them awake, “Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:41-42) The word of God is written for our learning not for decoration. The word of God is a sustaining prescription for any man with desire not to be a victim of this wicked world. Sleeping in the place of watching and praying is the ground for the enemy to sow is agenda.
Matthew 13:25 buttressed, “…but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Are you awake by watching and praying? Today, give self to the word of Jesus’ proven word and not be a victim of the wicked of this world. As the world of today is getting darker man should become brighter by becoming a conversant watching and praying vessel.

Prayer for today: Pray for the grace not to be a victim of sleeping in the place of watching and praying.