When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."Matthew 26:40-41 (The Message)
I fall asleep when I pray... especially in our Homegroup. Wednesdays are busy days... infact all weekdays are busy...and the weekends, OMGoodness, don't talk to me about the weekends.
We all work and play... We are all heavily involved with something - for me its Olly and the we'ans... or my work... or the blog... or my friends... or my church... We all have stuff to do :: You should see Olly hard at it... she is relentless when she needs to get stuff done. I love her for it.
I crash out... I'm not bored or uninterested. In fact, its quite the opposite.
In this passage Peter and John crashed out too... they've been busy... and this was only the beginning.
Its good advice... we need to keep awake! Spiritually awake... ready for anything!
Thing is to do so we need to rest in God's presence... get our equivalent of 8 hours a day.
That's where I go wrong... I burn the midnight biodiesel at both ends... and sometimes try to get by on less >> both physically and spiritually... and I am not my best because of it.
God doesn't want us to be busy for the sake of it... He doesn't equate action with holiness... there are no extra points for burn out.
He wants us to live full and extraordinary lives! and to do so we need to get some spiritual rest. Read His word... Have regular conversations with Him... Hang out with likeminded people... and express His love and grace in action as well as words.
Kick the lazydog inside you and be who God wants you to be... oh and give me a nudge when its prayer time at our Homegroup!
Technorati Tags: faith
4 comments:
That's not you in the photo - it can't be - his head is not shaved!
Jeff ::
Welcome to the Nanolog - Joel is a great chap and I am thankful for his recoremmendation.
EP ::
Not me... some model in an ad for a sleepmask. Head shaved and far more hunky. ^____^
Good thoughts Thomas. Was involved in running a 24/7 prayer week at a Divisional Music School down south a few years back. We actually did a 19/7 as the kids needed to sleep sometime and the obvious pressures of a music school week led to us shutting down over night. However, some staff and students fell asleep on the odd occassion and the discussions started about whteher it was good or bad for that to happen. The possibly dodgy conclusion we came to was that we came to the prayer room to receive from God and if he felt we needed sleep then that was ok. As I say, this was possibly a dodgy decision as we should be awake in his presence as Jesus reprimanded the disciples. It got a bit silly when kids started coming down late in the evening with their duvets - one was even carried back to his room, fast asleep, on his duvet! The phrase "rest in his presence" could easily lead to sleep if, as you say, we're burning the fuel at both ends. Taking time out for God is a fantastic thing. Luke 5:16, amongst other verses, shows us that if Jesus can manage to take time out to be awake and praying, then why can't we:
"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
Blessings to you
Dan
Thomas,
You are touching on an area of spiritual life which is absolutely critical in living for Him. Sleep and our prayer lives are, or should be, quite separate. If I am too busy for prayer then I am too busy. Sleep and prayer are both absolutely essential to our whole beings and we need to set aside time for both. If we are deprived of one or both we suffer spiritually, physically and mentally.
The example of our Saviour in particular and other giants of Scripture shows that prayer is not "an optional extra" but a vital first step in daily life and preparation/ involvement for Him. Our "too busy, modern lives" have largely sidelined prayer and meditation to our cost. One main component of prayer is the outworking of our calling (invitation) "..into companionship and participation with (God's) Son, Jesus Christ our Lord". [1 Corins 1: 9]. No-one would doubt our companionship and participation with our family and friends but what about quality time in His presence?
Let's give prayer its rightful place at the centre of our lives for Him.
Post a Comment