PRAY EVERY DAY - Day 12: Pastor Kjell Axel Johanson
Click here to watch the video in a new window!
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
Temptation has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. Just when you think you are doing pretty well in your faith journey, out of nowhere comes the lure of temptation. It’s cleverly disguised, and before you know it, you’ve taken the bait. We’ve all been there. The real question is: How can we overcome it? We must learn to watch and pray.
In Matthew 26, Jesus taught His disciples a valuable lesson on overcoming temptation when He took His disciples with Him to an olive grove called Gethsemane to pray just before He would face the cross. Jesus used their drowsiness to warn them about the kinds of temptations they would soon face. That very night, He would face perhaps His most intense temptation as Son of Man. Would He drink the cup of suffering before Him? That night, He would be betrayed and handed over to the religious leaders to be tried and crucified the next day. Each one of these disciples would face the temptation to desert Him. And though Peter said he never would, before the morning sun rose, he denied even knowing Jesus three times! Talk is cheap! We can all feel confident and self-assured until we find ourselves in the crucible of temptation.
Jesus said that to overcome temptation we must watch - keep alert and pray. Staying alert means being aware of the possibilities of temptation. “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Prayer heightens our alertness and gives us the spiritual strength we need to resist it. Prayer connects us with God and enables us to detect areas of weakness that would otherwise ensnare us. If you want to defeat Satan’s scheme to deceive you, stay alert, keep watch, and pray.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.