And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:37-38 KJV
Following the institution of the Last Supper in the Upper Room, Jesus went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He especially asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him, but after an hour He found them all sleeping. Jesus expressed disappointment, concern, and understanding in finding them asleep. His concern, as expressed here, was that the lack of prayer left them vulnerable to temptation. Notice, prayer enables us to avoid temptation; quite often the strength of temptation is in its surprise. We are not expecting something to happen, and when it does, we fall into it before we even realize what we got ourselves into. Prayer prepares us for the surprise.
Lord, like the disciples, I too find my flesh weak when it comes to spending the time I really need in prayer. I am glad that You are understanding, but I also know it leaves me vulnerable. Help me overcome my weakness that I might be stronger in the face of temptation.
