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

Hours preceding His crucifixion, Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Clearly, Peter and the other disciples were yet to fully comprehend what was about to happen to them. What Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent ascension to the Father will mean for their lives. They did not understand that they would no longer enjoy His physical presence and would need to constantly be in tune with Him by prayer and vigilance. This is why Jesus was grieved when He came back and found them sleeping.

The word translated “watch” means to be on the lookout for trouble or danger. A watchman’s primary task is to be vigilant day and night so he can spot danger from a distance. Watchmen oftentimes work in solitude, and any sign of weakness on their part may leave them at the mercy of danger. It is important that they stay vigilant and awake at all times. We must understand that Jesus’ instruction for us to “watch” is also a call to spiritual vigilance. We must strive to overcome our flesh and it’s desires at all times.

While exercising Spiritual vigilance, we must also spend time in prayer. In Luke 18:1 Jesus told a parable to this end, that men ought to always pray and not faint. In fact, prayer is the essence of Spiritual vigilance. Jesus’ many emphasis on prayer in the Bible only underlines the importance of the exercise. In the place of prayer, we can allow God to establish His purpose in our lives and for the nations at large, for the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b).

Just like the disciples, we are too easily distracted and overcome by the things of this world. We all know the things that shift our focus from God, and we know that we are more likely to give into the desires of the flesh over the word of God when we take our eyes from Jesus and His return. Without Spiritual vigilance and prayer we cannot overcome the enemy, and we may become like the foolish virgins who could not go out to meet the bridegroom at His arrival. Let us make every effort to keep our eyes on Him and on His return, I pray none of us will be caught off-guard in Jesus name.

Today, we pray for endurance and dominion to overcome the things that distract us from keeping our eyes on Jesus. We pray for our loved ones and families also, that anything that has shifted their focus from God be removed, in Jesus name. Amen.

Matthew 26:36-41
Luke 18:1