Christian Commentary Encouraging Devotions

He returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

"Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" Matthew 26:40

He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour?

Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger."

Prayer is work. Hard work.

Some thoughts from last night's labors...

Prior to prayer we had heard about bewaring lest ministry become an idol.

Hello! It's not about us!

We're not at the youth center to serve the kids.

We're there to serve Jesus.

Which just happens to involve serving the kids.

But He's to be first.

While praying...

1. Living for self.

Lord, deliver me from.

2. The door in the prayer room says, "Push".

Push back the enemy and what he wants to have happen in the lives of the young people.

3. "Feel" like a failure at prayer.

Trick of the enemy. Re-focus.

4. Only what's done for Christ will last.

5. I speak dependence on God, but do I LIVE dependence on God?

6. I don't have it altogether.

Hey, there's a revelation!

7. Death to self. A painful, continuing process.

8. I know nothing.

Moving towards what the leader earlier called "away from arrogant shame to humble confidence".

Not an immediate process.

9. Lord, what do YOU want?

Took a while to get this far.

10. There are unresolved issues.

Deal with them so you can move on.

11. Taking a stand...in prayer.

12. Making a statement...in prayer.

13. The battle's not against flesh,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

14. Lord, You make a difference.

Read this two ways.

Lord, you DO make a difference.

Lord, come and MAKE a difference.

In the morning I received some news that set me to praying in tongues.

Then I remembered I had not used the weapon of praying in tongues a whole lot last night.

Which may have been one reason for the tough slugging.

Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians...

And that about wraps it up.

God is strong, and he wants you strong.

So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials.

And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way.

This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours.

This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels. Ephesians 6:10-12