Read:
Mar 14:37-38 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Jesus is here rebuking Peter for his inability to pray an hour with Jesus. I find it interesting that Jesus seemed to speak like an hour of prayer was some small task. How many of us find it difficult to pray 15 minutes before our minds wander or our eyes get droopy? I hear Jesus saying, "Peter, come on man! Can't you even pray for a measly little hour?" I hear Him saying to me, "Come on Jim. Can't you even pray for a measly little hour?"
The second truth I see here is the doctrine that the Lord teaches us during this rebuke. He says to pray SO THAT you do not ENTER into temptation. In other words, temptation is coming around the corner, pray and get ready for it so that you don't fail when it comes. He goes on to kindly let us know that the Spirit is indeed willing and ready to help and strengthen us, but our flesh is too weak to overcome temptation and too weak to seek the Spirit in preparatory prayer prior to the temptation.
I think it would be good to say here that one of the reasons we fail when temptation comes is because we have not prepared ourselves prayerfully. Jesus is teaching us the importance of prayer in facing temptation. Note in His life the two major temptations (in the wilderness and before the cross) were preceded by much fervent praying.
Amp up your prayer life and decrease your sin life.
May God bless your reading of Mark 14.
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