My son sent me these statistics:
If the average person lives to be 75 his life will be spent more or less this way:
23 years of sleeping
19 years of working
9 years of watching TV or other amusement
7.5 years personal care
6 years of eating
6 years of traveling
.5 years of praying/worshipping
Is Jesus really Lord??
Luke chapter 22 starting in verse 39:
Jesus went out as usual to the mount of olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, pray that you will not fall into temptation. He withdrew about a stones throw Beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being an anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to his disciples, he found them asleep exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping? He ask them. Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
How many of us are sleeping? How many of us are sleeping through pain, suffering loneliness and trials? How many are hiding, isolating, avoiding?
It won’t get better. In fact it will get worse. We can see that later in this passage. A few verses later, Peter slices off an ear of the servant of the high priest and then a few more verses later, he denies Christ 3 times. Did he set himself up to fail by his unwillingness to pray? What if he hadn’t been sleeping? Would his responses been different had he been in a posture of prayer?
Peter was sleeping. Scripture tells us, he was deeply troubled and in sorrow and instead of praying and seeking the Lord, he was sleeping. He wasn’t fighting the fight the right way. He fought with the wrong weapons and was later, led by fear. There was no empowerment of the Holy Spirit because he didn’t pray. How different those scenarios may have turned out had he not slumbered over prayer.
We don’t take prayer seriously. We don’t pray enough. We don’t respect the power there is in prayer and therefore, we are lacking and losing.
I believe in the power of prayer. I believe God calls us to pray. I believe prayer is obedience. I believe our lives would look radically different if we were a people of prayer.
I’m speaking to those who are in serious battle and turmoil, battling with anxiety, depression, and a spirit of oppression. The battle is on the knees. The temptation to curl up and sleep, to withdraw, to isolate, to stay in bed, to avoid, that is right where the enemy wants you and where he gains victory. Just like he did with Peter and the disciples. Jesus himself had to battle in prayer, why wouldn’t we?
People often think the battle for salvation, the power over death, the victory, was won on the cross. The battle was won long before the nails pierced through His hands. The battle was won in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus persisted in prayer, on His knees.
Don’t credit the deity of Christ for his ability to overcome. He was fully man. We are called to be men and women of prayer. Every battle Jesus encountered was victorious through prayer. If we want the Holy Spirit activated and working in our life we need to be in prayer.
Wake up o sleepy one. If Jesus is really Lord of your life then get off your own throne and put Him on the throne, where He belongs.