Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 25-29
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Mark 14:37-38
Jesus (waking Peter): Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you wait with Me for just an hour? Stay awake, and pray that you aren’t led into a trial of your own. It’s true—even when the spirit is willing, the body can betray it.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
There’s that combination of how to remain true to Christ again. The way to keep out of trouble in a wicked, sin-filled world. What is the secret? Stay awake and alert to the wiles of the enemy, number one. And number two, pray. Those two things, more than any other will keep you from falling into the traps Satan has set for you. Why is that so? Why would that be true and why would Jesus give that admonition to Peter and to us?
A couple of days ago, we talked about the importance of staying awake on guard duty in the military. Falling asleep while on guard during a time of war, carries a maximum penalty of death in the United States Armed Services. If convicted, a court-martial can sentence you to the death penalty for falling asleep! The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we fall asleep on the job, we can face eternal death. If we fail to keep watch and stay alert to the schemes of Satan we can fall prey to that “roaring lion” that roams the earth seeking whom he might devour.
How can we avoid the temptations, the wickedness, the schemes, the traps, the plans Satan has for us if we don’t stay alert and awake? How can we stay out of his clutches if we relax our guard and just follow the whims of the world or even our own desires and emotions? The answer is we can’t. We must be aware that we are foreigners in this place. As such, the language is different than ours. The customs are different than ours. The habits and rituals are different than our.
You might think you understand the ways of the world, and as long as you remain loyal to it, you might understand them better than a Christian. But if you are following Christ, the ways of the world should become more and more foreign to you because you do not belong here. You are part of a different kingdom. Your citizenship isn’t the one on your birth certificate or your driver’s license or identification card. Your citizenship is the kingdom of God. He does not adhere to the ways of the world. So stay awake. Be aware of the differences. Be aware that Satan is hunting you and will do anything he can to cause you to run into one of his snares.
Then there is prayer. I’ve mentioned before that the founders of most of the prominent denominations that exist today spent hours on their knees every day. They understood the importance of prayer in their lives. John Wesley, for instance, remarked that he started the day with two hours of prayer and if he had a particularly busy day ahead, he would begin with four hours of prayer. Otherwise, he could never get through his agenda. That meant rising early, very early, to meet with God and start the day.
Still John Wesley was a prolific writer, a teacher, a preacher, founder of the Methodist Church, mentor to dozens, maybe hundreds of young preachers across the country, a missionary to young America. How was he able to accomplish so much in an age without electricity, running water, and all the modern conveniences we enjoy today? He prayed. He reached out to heaven…a lot.
John Calvin in his Institutes gives prayer a prominent place in Christian practice and gives these instructions: We are to pray “continuously.” We should lift our hearts to God at all times and pray without ceasing. Yet, it is necessary, because of our weakness, for us to set certain hours for prayer. “These are: when we arise in the morning, before we begin daily work, when we sit down to a meal, when by God’s blessing we have eaten, when we are getting ready to retire.” (Institutes III, XX, 50) By spending the time at “certain hours” as Calvin recommends we come into a closer relationship with God. The result is an awareness of God in every moment.
And when Calvin talked about certain hours, he meant not just the time of day, but also the length of prayer. Time spent with God. Time communing with Him. Sharing to Him our innermost thoughts and listening to His voice in conversation with the Creator of the universe. Prayer is critical to our relationship and our survival as a follower of Jesus. We must spend time in prayer.
Jesus spent hours in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane after He shared the Seder meal with His disciples. He came back to find Peter, James, and John asleep. He warns them and us of the danger involved if we’re not careful. Listen to His words once again. “Couldn’t you wait with Me for just an hour? Stay awake, and pray that you aren’t led into a trial of your own. It’s true—even when the spirit is willing, the body can betray it.”
Stay awake and pray. It might mean your life.
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