November 13

Watch unto Prayer

“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” — Matt 26:41 BSB

We must learn both to watch and to pray. Watching is important. Danger is everywhere. An army in enemy territory never rests without an encircling line of guards, alert to report any approaching threat. We live in enemy territory, and we cannot safely let our guard down for even an hour. But watching alone is not enough, because we are not able to protect ourselves when danger comes. This is why we also need to pray, asking God to keep us safe. Yet, just as watching without praying isn’t enough, praying without watching isn’t enough either. God expects us to use our eyes and our wisdom, along with crying out to Him for help.

We shouldn’t assume that everyone who makes a bold profession of faith but later stumbles was insincere or hypocritical. Peter wasn’t being dishonest when he passionately declared that he would never deny Christ, even if it meant dying with Him. He loved Jesus and fully intended to be loyal. His spirit was willing and eager, but he was weak in himself. Because he relied on his own strength, he couldn’t withstand the overwhelming temptation when it came.

We are all like Peter. If we are true Christians, we want to be faithful to our Lord. But sincerity alone is not enough. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” and we must continually rely on God’s strength to stay faithful. Young Christians, in particular, would fall less often if they learned this lesson. The person struggling with addiction who resolves to reform would be stronger if they understood this too. No matter how good our intentions are, we cannot carry them out on our own. None of us is as strong or as good as we long to be. Only through the powerful help of Christ can we live faithful and noble lives in the face of the world’s temptations and dangers.