DON'T GET TOO TIRED TO PRAY!
And He came to the disciples, and found them asleep, and said to Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray (Matthew 26:40, 41).  And He came and found them asleep again; for their eyes were heavy (verse 43).
 
            Have you ever been so tired at the end of a hard day that you sat in your favorite chair and fell asleep?  Your intent was to get up and go to bed.  And since you always prayed before going to bed, you never intended to miss your prayers.  But unfortunately, since you did not go and get to your bed, you did not pray.  Or maybe you have been discouraged because of a trial that you were facing, and rather than spend your time with God in prayer, you fell asleep as a means of escape.  If you are a Christian, I can assure you that Satan does not want you to pray.  If he can find any way to interrupt your prayer time, he will do so.  Even with our good intentions, Satan will try to find a way to distract us just before we begin our prayer time.  As we face the challenges before us, we need to heed the admonition that Jesus gave His disciples.  He told them that they needed to "watch and pray!"
            My heart goes out to those who are being laid off from their jobs.  I am still concerned for those who have been displaced by Hurricane Ike.  I truly hate to see businesses close, and plans put on hold because of our economy.  We are living in times when we must be awake.  Our eyes must be open.  We must be able to see the tides of change, and be prepared to adapt appropriately.  If we are not vigilant and prayerful, we will not be able to respond appropriately to the difficulties that we face.
            In the passage above, Jesus knew that He was destined for Calvary.  He realized that the Spiritual warfare would be intense.  He had hoped that the disciples were mature enough to handle the adversity that would come.    However, they did not.  Rather than watch and pray, they fell asleep not just once, but twice.  As a result, they were weak, and they scattered when Jesus was taken away.
            I encourage all of us to pray more.  As we see the difficulties in our Nation, we should continue to pray for President Obama and his administration.  We should set aside time early in the morning for prayer.  It may mean getting out of bed a little earlier than usual.  Many of us can find prayer partners who will pray with us at various times of the day or week.  We should attend prayer meetings at our church.  And of course, don't allow ourselves to get so tired, that we fall asleep before praying at night.  Remember, it doesn't cost you anything for the privilege to pray, but it cost you an awful lot if you don't pray!  And while you are at the altar, please pray for me, as I will certainly pray for you!  Watching and praying, will get us through these tough times. Hallelujah!