And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
Jesus, on the night He was handed over to be brutally tortured and put to death, was praying near His friends. He had requested their prayers, but they were overcome by the urge to nap. It had been a long day….
If Jesus asked me that question, I’d be hard pressed to answer. Can I watch in prayer for one hour without being distracted or sleepy, squirmy like a kid in math class?
Oh, Lord, wake me up to heed your call to pray that I might not fall into temptation, that I might be strengthened to be able to stand at your side and not flee when I’m persecuted, that I may not abandon you in your time of intercession. Amen
This is Holy Week. Let’s set aside an hour for prayer – watching and waiting with our Savior, staying close to Him, let us echo the prayers we have heard Him pray. Here are some suggestions of pertinent prayer requests we can bring before the throne, asking for His intervention, for angelic help, for the defeat of satan and his strategies against the Kingdom and against all humanity….
Pray for the loved ones of the nuns recently murdered by Isis. Pray for their churches to be free from fear and oppression.
Pray for the victims and their families of the recent Brussel massacre.Pray for protection from terror.
Pray for our governments that godly leaders would be promoted to the highest offices.
Pray for our families to reject the temptation to live selfish lives.
Pray for the sick to be healed.
Pray for the demonized to be released.
Pray for the mentally ill to find peace of mind.
Pray for the down-trodden to rise to their place of worth and given opportunities to contribute to society.
Pray for the Church to be unified.
Pray for our homes to be sanctuaries of peace and joy and great fellowship.
Pray for debts to be settled and financial blessing to come, along with godly living and wise financial choices.
Pray for our children to be taught by the Lord and that their peace would be great.
Pray for our land to produce abundant crops with more than enough to feed the hungry.
Pray for jobs for the unemployed.
Pray for promotion for the under-employed.
Pray for new businesses to spring up and thrive, creating more jobs.
Pray for liberating leaders, humble and sincere.
Pray for the strength for the oppressed to walk in forgiveness, as Jesus has commanded us.
Pray for healing for all trauma and addiction.
Pray for soldiers – for angelic protection as promised in Psalm 91.
Pray for the dying, that their hearts would be made right with God and that their suffering would end.
That is a list to get you started. If you spend 2 – 3 minutes on each of those prayer points, you’ll have prayed for one hour, and you can answer your Savior in the affirmative when He asks you – “Could you not stay awake in prayer for an hour?”
Holy Father, help us to overcome our flesh and heed our spirits which are more than willing to pray, for our spirits understand the benefits, whereas our flesh just wants what it wants – to satisfy our base appetites. Crucify my flesh and let me live by the spirit and the Spirit of God. Amen.
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