Have You Ever Dozed Off?

When I attended Duke Divinity School, I was pastoring two churches. I often stayed up most of the night studying and then would have to rise early to get to my early morning class.  I lived 55 miles from Duke.  I remember more than one morning arriving at Duke and not remembering the roads that I had driven. Going to sleep while driving is dangerous but at one time or another, I imagine we have all dozed off or were afraid we would.

Jesus warned His disciples that if they didn’t remain alert, they would make a costly mistake. He took them to a place called Gethsemane to spend some time in prayer. Gethsemane means, “oil press”, a garden among the olive groves on the Mount of Olives. Like an olive in a press, Jesus faced extreme pressure. Jesus was praying before His arrest and crucifixion. Jesus was facing grief and sadness that He had never known in His earthly life. He asked Peter, James and John to stay awake to pray and “keep watch” with Him, (Matthew 26:38) but they fell asleep (vs. 40-41). In the hour of Christ’s greatest need, these disciples dozed off.

Jesus wants us to remain spiritually awake and spend more time with Him in prayer. Jesus is still calling His disciples to stay awake and pray. In these times we are living in, there is a great need for us to pray! We need to stay awake and pray not only for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors but the whole world.  Jesus will strengthen us so we can resist all kinds of temptations an avoid the costly mistake of denying Jesus.  Stay awake!

Prayer: Jesus, I haven’t been praying as much as I should.  Because I haven’t been praying, I haven’t been depending on You. Help me to spend more time with You!  Amen.

Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Author: Tommy Herndon