Could there be “pop quizzes” that we’re not prepared for in life? Do you ever find yourself in dismay as to the seductiveness of sin and temptation, and are you tired of battle? Jesus gives his disciples a key resource in fighting the “good fight” with the spiritual discipline of prayer.
Today we will look at the scene in Gethsemane as Jesus gives us both a model of what genuine prayer looks like and the echo of his commands to his disciples to “pray” that they might not fall into temptation.
Observations & Conclusions:
1. Your adversary never rests
2. Prayer is our weapon
3. We must pray in accordance with God’s will
4. God will provide for you
5. Jesus loves you, even in your weakness
Application:
1. Are you prepared?
2. How are you working on your spiritual health and readiness?
3. What does your prayer life look like?
4. In what area of your life is your spirit willing but your flesh weak?
1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38
“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
1 Peter 5:8-9a
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
Ephesians 6:17-18
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
1 John 5:14
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Fast Facts on Fasting
Fasting is:
(1) – A time of focused intensity on our dependence on God
(2) – A retraining of our source of satisfaction towards God
(3) – A weapon of spiritual warfare against our flesh
(4) – A response to increased testing of our faith
(5) – A replacement of hunger for food with a hunger for God in prayer
Fasting ought to be:
(1) – From physical desires, not needs – use wisdom with health concerns
(2) – A regular component of Spiritual Discipline in the believer’s life
(3) – Non-compulsory
(4) – Combined with other disciplines of study, solitude, etc
(5) – With an expectation to see God’s power displayed
Fasting must be:
(1) – Accompanied by disciplined prayer
(2) – Temporary & Intentional
(3) – Unnoticed by, and unannounced to others
(4) – Focused for the glory of God and not the glory of man
(5) – A time resulting in increased awareness and attack of personal sin