Watch and Pray
A guest post by Chad Ramsey.
On the evening of His betrayal and arrest, Jesus and His apostles had gone to “a place called Gethsemane” (Matthew 26:36). It was in this garden, a place where “Jesus often met…with His disciples” (John 18:2), that He poured His heart out to the Father in prayer. He prayed:
“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
After spending time in prayer, Jesus found his apostles sleeping. Disturbed, He rebuked them and said:
“What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41).
The admonition Jesus issued to Peter, James, and John—“Watch and pray”—is one we would do well to heed today. And this is especially true since we, like those weary followers of Christ, also face temptations, have weaknesses, and lack spiritual stamina. Like the apostles of Christ, we must watch for those obstacles that will cause us to stumble.
Perhaps Peter had this very warning in mind when he wrote:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
And like the apostles of Christ, we must learn to lean upon God in prayer. As Jesus did, we too can pour our hearts out to the Father. Instead of allowing anxiety to reign in our lives (see Philippians 4:6– 7), we can place our trust in the one who rules the world!
Let’s watch so that we can avoid potential temptations, and let’s pray for God’s help (Matthew 6:13).
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
