WATCH AND PRAY!
WATCH AND PRAY!
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. —Matthew 26:41
How do we keep from entering temptation? First we need to be watchful and alert. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (I Peter 5:8-9). So make it a priority to be watchful and to be on your guard. We are in spiritual warfare and cannot drop our guard!
Secondly we need to be in prayer, talking our Lord, staying in communication with our Commanding officer. It is through these two actions that we can keep from entering into temptation. So, how are you and I doing in these two areas?
There is a weakness that will seek to keep us from prayer. It is our flesh. The flesh is weak even though our spirit is willing. We desire to be faithful in prayer, but the weak flesh seeks to hinder us. How do we overcome it? Watch and pray!
The flesh will come up with all kinds of excuses and distractions to keep us from prayer. So not do we only have an enemy, Satan, that seeks to hinder us, but our own flesh does as well. Satan seeks to exploit this so, yes, watch and pray. Do not give up—
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” —Luke 18:1-8
Will He find faith in your life and mine? How will this be seen? It will be by persistent prayer— not giving up. Is this true of our lives? May it be so!
Dear Father may I come to You often throughout the day. Oh, that I would be watching and talking with You. Keep me from temptation, please. May I live honorably for You by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So may it be! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsQmsEE_2-s