(Use the link above to get to the passage)
How seriously do we take temptation? At one of Jesus' darkest moments that is what he asks his disciples to pray about. Maybe we might have expected him to ask them to pray for him or for what is about to happen. That would probably be what we would ask our friends to do if we were about to face a difficult situation.
But here Jesus asks them to pray that they will not fall into temptation. That is probably a rare prayer for us, with us focusing more on the past and saying sorry rather than asking God to highlight and keep us from being tempted.
On Jesus' return to the disciples, his words are withering: "Why are you sleeping?" Could he ever say that to us? What do we miss of what he has for us to do/say/pray that we simply don't see because we are sleeping? Set your spiritual alarm clock today and stay awake for him.
God our Father,
in your love and goodness
you have taught us to come
close to you in penitence
with prayer, fasting and generosity;
accept our Lenten discipline,
and when we fall by our weakness,
raise us up by your unfailing mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(www.churchofengland.org)
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