Matthew 26:41 (KJV) “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The words in our Scriptural text were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before His arrest. He had asked them to stay awake and pray with Him, but they kept falling asleep. The commands in His charge are “Watch” & “Pray”. Let’s focus on “Watching” while “Praying”. In this Scriptural text, to “watch” means to be “spiritually and physically alert.” It means to stay vigilant against sin, deception, and spiritual laziness. It also means to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Furthermore, it means to observe the times and seasons; to be aware of what God is doing and what the enemy is plotting (1Pe. 5:8). It is not enough to pray; it is extremely important to WATCH while praying.
Why must we “watch” and “pray”? One reason we must watch and pray is so that we don’t “fall into temptation”. In Luke 22:46 (Remedy), the Lord Jesus said to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Why are you asleep when you so desperately need God’s strength? Wake up and ask God for wisdom and strength to recognize and resist temptation.” We all need the wisdom and the grace of God to “recognize and to resist temptation.” Praying to God is the primary way we demonstrate our dependence on God’s strength, not our own. Truly, our spirit (inner desire) wants to do what is right, but our flesh (human nature) is weak. Therefore, we must depend on the help of the Holy Spirit always, to overcome temptations.
In conclusion, note that we are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted and that God is faithful; He does not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. In fact, for everyone temptation we face, the LORD provides a way of escape; He shows us how to escape from our temptations (1Co. 10:13). So, through watchfulness and prayer, we gain the discernment and strength to resist the traps of sin and compromise, and to go through all temptations. Hallelujah!
Written by: Pastor Andrew A Esemudje