Do You Have Five Minutes?

Do You Have Five Minutes?

Are you sleeping or awake?

Mark 14:32-42

Jesus on the night before he was crucified and after they celebrated Passover supper went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He took Peter, James and John with him and asked them to sit here while he went up ahead about a stones throw to pray. Jesus was in deep sorrow for he knew that this was his time to go to the cross and die. He asked his disciples to watch or to be vigilant with him while he prayed to his Father. (Jesus spent much time in prayer to his Father). I believe this was a simple request but considering that they had just eaten a supper they probably got sleepy and could not stay awake. This is not an uncommon occurrence after eating but the one difference here is that they knew Jesus was hurting and very sorrowful and his request could also be interpreted as a plea to stay awake and watch or be alert while I pray. Maybe he was also hoping they would pray for him.

However, they fell asleep not only once but twice. Jesus urged his disciples three times to “watch and pray that they wouldn’t enter into temptation”. What an example for us today. How many times do we start out to pray but are distracted by a phone call, a friend at the door, an extraneous noise, etc. Or how many times do we wait until the very end of the day – our heads on the pillow – tired from the toils of the day and we just fall off in sleep with just a few half-hearted words to our Heavenly Father? How many times do we start to pray and up pops in our mind that we have to go and check this or that? How many times do we sincerely pray but our prayers drift into endless rabbit trails of mindless thoughts?

Jesus underscores to them the importance of staying awake and away from temptations. Temptations to sleep, to be unwatchful, or to focus more about their worldly cares than what he wanted them to do – namely to watch and pray! Spiritually this has huge significance. Imagine how, through prayer, spiritual strongholds or fortresses against the knowledge of God are torn down and destroyed. Imagine how the forces of darkness are defeated through your watchfulness in constant prayer. Think how your constant vigil of prayer for family or friends in their time of need can impact their lives and please our Lord.

In learning to sincerely pray and stay focused, do you have, say, five minutes to dedicate to Jesus in prayer today? Take this time, commit it to him, pray and seek his face. This five minutes of sacrificial prayer time could turn into 10 minutes, then 20, then 30 and perhaps even an hour of uninterrupted prayer to your Savior Jesus Christ. If you don’t know him, have strayed away or have stumbled on this message, please read Romans 10:9-13 and consider very seriously confessing or recommitting your life to Christ as your Lord and Savior. He paid the ultimate price for your sins but you must ask his forgiveness and confess him as the Lord of your life. Your reservation then will be made for an eternity with him in his heavenly home.

 -BPWatcher


“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

2 Peter 3:11-12

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