I can pray

Matthew 26:39-40

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

When Jesus was in the garden, he was in great agony. This would’ve been visible to the disciples he took with him.

They should’ve been able to see the visible pain on his face. Especially since they walked with him daily.

So, when he asked them to watch and pray, that should’ve been a serious request…something they took very seriously.

Each one of them felt as if they were a friend of Jesus.

And they all fell asleep when he needed them the most.

He had a burden, so heavy, that his sweat became as blood.

And he asked them to pray.

Pray with him.

Pray for him.

And they fell asleep.

Was it because he walked to a more secluded place to pray alone? Was it an “out of sight, out of mind” thing?

Or did they believe they could tell him that they would pray with him, and him never know that they didn’t?

Jesus himself, came to the people closest to him, with a burden. And they went to sleep.

How seriously are you taking prayer requests?

Are you praying, truly praying?

Or are you agreeing to pray, and then going to sleep?

Would the agony of Jesus have been so DEEP if the disciples had truly prayed with him?

Would we be surrounded by more answers to prayer if we denied ourselves, and truly prayed?

We want people to pray alongside us.

We want them to pray with power and fervency.

But when it is our turn to get under someone else’s burden, why is it that we treat it lightly?

Why is it that we constantly must be reminded to pray for this person, or this situation?

Why do we not take the first request as our personal responsibility, until the answer comes?

There is no time to sleep.

There is no time to treat prayer as a light thing.

There are those around us, desperately depending on prayer to be answered, and you’re asleep.

WAKE UP.

Answers to prayer aren’t optional.

Don’t hinder the Lord moving, simply because you chose sleep over prayer.

This is serious.

Will you pray?