JUNIA Magazine Issue 03

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JUNIA MAGAZINE / ISSUE 03
face Him. In that moment of deep
sorrow and heavy heart, Jesus
prayed. He brought Peter, James,
and John with Him to the Garden
with one simple request: “Stay
here and keep watch” (vs. 34).
During the next hour while He
prayed, the disciples fell asleep.
No doubt they made themselves
as comfortable as they could while
they waited, and eventually sleep
overtook them. Three times. That
had to be a little embarrassing. (But
again, no judgment here.)
Jesus called them out, I suspect
with both compassion and maybe
a little disappointment. “Couldn’t
you keep watch for one hour?”
(vs. 37). But Jesus added a
prophetic warning that I doubt
the disciples understood. He tied
their sleepiness with a weakness
toward temptation: “Watch and
pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but
the flesh is weak” (vs. 38).
He was warning them about the
power of prayer to sustain them
in the years to come ‐ and they
had no idea how much they would
need it!
Yes, the disciples failed
miserably in staying awake on
behalf of their friend. Yet, Jesus
prayed on. With or without them,
He was fully present to His Father
and was interceding in His hour
of great need. He prayed into the
fullness of His destiny - and that of
His disciples.
This is our assurance today.
Even as we slumber in our
prayerlessness, or even as evil
lurks around us and is ready to
pounce in our weak moments,
Jesus is praying for us. Right now.
Necessity of Prayer
One question you might ask - and
it’s a valid one: “Did Jesus really
need to pray?”
Here’s my theologically profound
answer: Apparently, He did!
There are too many examples
in Scripture to conclude any other
way. Someone has counted 45
times in the Gospels where Jesus
went away to pray. It doesn’t make
sense that Jesus would devote so
much time to prayer if He didn’t
consider it a necessity in His own
life.