Matthew 26:45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Jesus has just prayed three times and he comes to his disciples who were unable to stay awake and tells them to sleep. One of the disciples had probably woke quickly when Jesus returned to them and you can hear the Gentle Savior telling them to go ahead and sleep. Maybe the disciple remembered he was supposed to pray and he started to do so. Jesus knew that the time for praying was done. The time that he was to be betrayed was about to occur. There was no use staying awake talking about what was going to happen. Instead, the best thing that could happen was to get some physical rest for the long hours that the disciples were about to endure.

There is a time and a place for everything. There is a time to be spiritual and pray earnestly about the will of God and there is a time to rest and obtain your sleep. However, too many of us sleep when we should be praying and praying when we should be sleeping. We often act like Martha and become really busy when we should be focusing on hearing the voice of God. Alternatively, we act like the religious leaders during the time of Christ and we spend all our time pretending that we are religious that we do not fully understand the ways of God.

There is a time and a place for everything. Do you understand when God desires you to be praying and when you should be acting upon HIS will? Do you understand when you need to rest on HIM and allow HIM to direct your paths or do you fell like if you are not doing something, there must be something wrong with you?

Jesus understood that the time for praying was over and that the will of God was about to be fulfilled in HIS life. Jesus did not fret as HE waited for Judas to come. Jesus could have insisted HIS disciples stay vigilant as HE spoke with them about everything unfair and unjust that was about to occur. However, Jesus has spoken with the Father and HE understood that the Father would bring about HIS will in HIS timing.

Adam was lonely and God sought to bring a helpmate unto Adam. Adam named all the animals but did not find a suitable helpmate. It was at this time that Adam fell asleep and God brought woman out of man. There are some who teach a doctrine that you must completely fall asleep to the desires of your heart before God will bring it to pass. The problem with this doctrine is that God led Adam to falling asleep. If that is what the will of God is, then that is what you need to do. However, we must remember that when it was Jacob’s desire to marry, he worked for seven years to obtain Rachel. You cannot put God in a box, every situation is different, that is why it is important to understand the timing of God.

Patience is a difficult thing to learn. It is hard to be patient when you desire to be doing something. That is why it is important to understand the ways of God so that when HE directs you to move forward, you can do so, when HE directs you to wait, the best thing you can do is wait.

There is a time and a place for everything. You will never understand God’s timing if you do not first take the time to understand HIS will. You will never understand God’s will unless you first take the time to hear HIS voice. You will never hear the voice of God unless you learn to put aside the things of this world and to patiently wait for God to speak to you.

Matthew 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Jesus is at the Garden praying to HIS Father. Jesus’ prayer has not changed, HE has now requested that HIS Father remove from him the trials of the cross and the separation that is to follow. However, each time, Jesus prays, thy will be done.

We all know the story of Job. Job was a righteous man who was perfect in the eyes of the Lord. Job was diligent to serve God, yet Satan attacked Job in a way that most of us could not handle. Nonetheless, despite all the trials that Job faced, he refused to curse God. Job understood that God had given him everything that he owned and God could take it all away. Job understood that the will of the Lord was going to be done in his life and it did not do him any good to be blaming God.

We have an interesting relationship with God, it is not easily understood by the world let alone most Christians. God desires to hear us cry out to HIM, however, HE still is sovereign and just because we pray, it does not mean that HE is going to change HIS will for our life. Yes, there are many stories in the Bible of how people pleaded with God and HE changed HIS will. However, there are many more stories where things did not change just because someone cried out to God.

We must understand that God has perfect timing. We may not understand what God is doing in our life, but it is our duty to be diligent to focus upon HIM and not sin regardless of our circumstances. Joshua and Caleb did nothing wrong, yet they found themselves wondering in the wilderness because of the unbelief of others. Job suffered not because of something he did wrong but because of what he did right. Daniel and his friends also suffered because they were willing to do that which is right in the eyes of God.

We have some mistaken belief that everything in our life should be perfect. We spend a lot of time thinking that God is going to bless us and we fail to praise HIM during the times of suffering. It does not matter what is going wrong in your life, you can always find a reason to praise God. God has not left you nor forsaken you. Instead, HE has a perfect plan for our life and it is our duty to trust HIM regardless of what is going on around us.

When was the last time you prayed, Father, thy will be done in my life? When was the last time you had something terrible happen in your life and the first thing out of your mouth was praise the Lord? When was the last time you were in a crises and all you could say is Father, help me?

It is our duty to have a heart after God’s own heart. That means that we are willing to accept both good and evil out of the hands of God. We must learn to focus upon the things of God and to allow HIM to be God and for us to be HIS faithful servants. Just because we do not understand what God is doing in our life, it does not mean that we are entitled to complain.

God does not always reveal HIS perfect will immediately. Sometimes you will have to wait years in order to understand what HE is trying to do. This means that you must be patient and you must diligently seek HIM regardless of whether you are on a mountain top or whether you are in the valley of the shadow of death. God is with you and HE has promised not to forsake you. Trust in HIM because this is your safety line in time of trouble. If God was able to restore Job, then HE can restore you after a time of famine.

Matthew 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

Jesus had just finished praying a second time. He comes to talk with HIS disciples but HE finds them asleep. The disciples are about to see the death of their Master, but they were asleep, unable to pray for an hour.

How many times has God come to speak with us but HE found us asleep or too busy to have time for HIM? Maybe we were playing sports, getting our exercise, watching television, or making money at work. We need to be ready at all times to hear the voice of God. We need to prepare ourselves so that God can speak to us.

What have you done to prepare yourself to hear the voice of God? Have you been diligent in reading your Bible? Have you spent time memorizing the word of God? Have you meditated upon HIS precepts? Have you prayed in the manner that Christ taught us to pray?

We like to treat God like a client at work. We want to schedule God into our own schedule. We will give him two minutes before a meal, unless of course we are with friends or co-workers and then we will not do anything to reveal to them that we are a Christian. We might give God some of our time by going to church, but once we get out of church, the rest of the day is ours and we will do what we want to do. If we get up early enough in the morning, and we have finished reading the paper or searching the internet, we might give God a few minutes of our time by reading a chapter or two.

If we desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, it starts with us making a decision to put God first in our life. If our boss at work told us to drop everything and come into his office and work on something, most of us would drop everything and do that which the boss requested. However, most of us are unwilling to treat God with the same respect that we treat our earthly bosses with. We do not treat God as if HE can provide for our needs. We do not treat God as if HE can direct our steps. We do not treat God as if HE is our protector.

Jesus found the disciples asleep, how does HE find you? How much time did you spend last week reading the Bible? How much time did you spend last week praying? Are you planning on succeeding in your Christian walk or are you just trying to get along? Every day you make choices and the result of those choices will affect the circumstances around you. Peter did not want to deny Christ, but he did not pray and thus while the spirit was willing, his flesh was week.

Christ desires that we add patience into our life. By diligently adding patience to our life, we allow ourselves to focus upon the things of God and not allow the pressures of this world to distract us from the things of God. Patience gives us the strength to wait 25 years for God to bring a promise child. Patience gives us the strength to wait hundreds of years while serving as a slave for God to deliver the nation and bring them into the Promise Land. Patience allowed the Jews to wait for the coming Messiah.

If you do not add patience to your life, you will not be ready to hear the voice of God. If you are not ready to hear the voice of God, you may miss some of the encouraging words that HE has for you that HE is going to fulfill HIS promises in your life. There are going to be times where you will need to sacrifice the things of this world in order to put God first in your life. These sacrifices may just change the rest of your life.

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Have you ever prayed really hard for something? Maybe you were without a job and you prayed every single day that God would give you a job. Maybe there was not enough money to purchase food and you diligently prayed that God would provide for your needs. Maybe you were lonely and you prayed every day for a friend. Maybe you could not have a child and you prayed that God would give you your heart’s desire. Maybe there was a loved one who was not saved and you prayed that Jesus would touch their heart.

In this passage, we see that Jesus came back to pray for a second hour. Jesus had already prayed and asked the Father to remove from HIM the sacrifice that HE was about to make. However, Jesus yielded HIS will for that of the Father. Jesus understood that it was not what HE wanted but what the Father asked HIM to do that was the most important thing for HIM to do.

Jesus really did not want to be separated from his father. Jesus knew the consequences of HIS death. Jesus demonstrates to us that it is not sin to plead with God to change HIS will. Jesus shows us that just because we ask for something, that does not mean that God is going to change HIS will for our life. One of the most important lessons we can learn from this passage is that while we can ask God to grant our petition, we need to be ready to accept the perfect will of God regardless of what that might be.

We love to quote the verse about ask and we shall receive. We love to quote verses about how the Father will give us the desires of our heart. We love to quote verses about give and it shall be given unto us. However, God is not a formula. Just because you are a Christian, and just because you honor God with your tithe, it does not mean that God is going to give you whatever you ask for.

Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He was bold to ask God to take away the sacrifice HE was about to make, not once, not twice, but three times. Even the perfect Son of God was unable to get God to change HIS mind regarding what Jesus should do with HIS life.

Jesus asked God to take away the cup, but HE also told HIS Father that it was HIS will that was to be done. We tend to spend most of our time praying asking God to give us something and we spend very little time asking God that HIS perfect will be done.

Praying the will of God be done is one of the most important prayers we can ask. If we pray that God’s will be done, it is one prayer that we know will be answered.

Remember, there are many passages of great men and women who talked with God and were able to get God to do something different. Abraham was able to talk God into not destroying Sodom if there were ten righteous. Moses was able to ask God not to destroy the people. And there is the woman who was able to get Jesus to heal her daughter.

Asking God for the desires of our heart is proper, just make sure that you are willing to do the perfect will of God. Spend equal amount of time praying that God’s perfect will be done in your life so that you can praise God regardless of whether HE gives you the desires of your heart. Fill your heart with the desire to please God and you will find a new freedom in your life.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

You have heard that the Lord desires your obedience over your sacrifice. Saul had been instructed to kill all of the inhabitance of Amalek and to destroy everything they possessed. Saul however saved the best of the flocks and he spared the life of the king. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul made an excuse that the animals were for a sacrifice unto the Lord.

Saul really did not love the Lord so much that he really wanted to sacrifice all these animals to the Lord. Saul desired to increase his wealth. Saul most likely spared the life of the king so that he could parade him back home so that everyone could see what a great warrior he was. Saul was in this for himself, but when caught, he came up with a logical sounding excuse as to why he had not obeyed the Lord. God was not interested in any sacrifice Saul would make, God desired to see the obedience of those who call upon HIS name.

God delights to hear the prayers of those who are righteous. However, just because you pray from something, it does not mean that you are going to receive it. Remember Jesus was a perfect man; HE never sinned while on this earth. The night before HE died, HE asked the Lord to take the cup away from HIM. Jesus essentially asked that God not require HIM to die on the cross. God did not grant Jesus HIS prayer request, but God did delight in the prayer.

If you are a Christian and have taken the righteousness of Christ as your own, prayer should be an active part of your life. Prayer is not just a time when you can ask God to give you the desires of your heart. Prayer is also a time when you praise God for the good things HE has given you. Prayer is also a time when you seek the will of God for your life. Prayer is a time when you confess your sins and once again put on the righteousness of Christ. Prayer is a time when you ask God for protection from not sliding into sin once again.

God desires that you take the time each day to talk with HIM. You need to take the time to read the Bible and then to discuss what is going on in your life. As you seek HIS face, HE will be able to direction you in the way you are to go. As you draw closer to God, HE will be able to protect you from the attacks of the wicked one. As you yield your life to the purposes of God, HE will be able to provide for your every need.

You desire that God give you the desires of your heart, why are you not concerned about giving God the desires of HIS heart? This is not a one way relationship. In fact, if it were a one way relationship, it surely would not be from God to you. God is your Creator and as such, if it were a one way relationship, then your attitude would need to be to do whatever God desired you to do without you having any hope that God would give you the desires of your heart.

We live in a society where we do not understand who God really is. We are so independent in our ways that we fail to recognize God. We are caught up in our world and we simply see God as some great big object out there that we must acknowledge and that because we acknowledge HIM, HE owes us the desires of our heart. It is time that you start adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life. As you spend time learning who God is, your attitude will change and so will your prayers. Your prayers need to change so that you can properly communicate with God. God already knows your needs; develop a relationship through prayer so that you can grow in HIM.

Matthew 26:35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Peter made a statement that he was not able to perform. Jesus had told Peter that before the cock crowed three times, Peter would deny HIM. In a fashion typical for Peter, he boldly stated that there was no way that he was going to deny Christ. We all know how the story turns out, Peter ended up denying Jesus three times.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4 we are told that charity vaunteth not itself. Vaunt means to brag and that is exactly what Peter was doing. Peter was bragging about something he could do by his own strength. Peter learned a very important lesson that night that one must rely upon God and not upon their own strength. When Peter was in the garden with Jesus, Jesus asked the disciples why they could not pray with him for an hour. Jesus proclaimed that they were to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

Upon the resurrection of Jesus, HE took Peter aside and asked him three times whether Peter loved HIM. Peter had bragged about his ability to resist temptation and this bragging had demonstrated a lack of love to Jesus. Instead of bragging about what he could do in his own strength, Peter needed to demonstrate his love for Jesus by asking HIM what he could do to avoid this temptation. Peter had yet to understand that it is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of God. Peter needed to learn how to not rely upon his own understanding.

James 4:2 yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

In this passage you see a very important element of prayer, asking. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus told you “Ask, and it shall be given you”. He went on to say in verse 8 “For every one that asketh receiveth”. Christ taught the importance of asking when HE promised you in Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

It is important to ask, but just as important in asking is making sure you are asking for the right thing. James went on to tell you in verse 3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Thus it is not only important that you ask but that you ask for the right thing. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus analogized our relationship with God to that of a son asking his father for bread. Jesus explained that a father would not give his son a rock when he asked for bread. Jesus then said in Matthew 7:11 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

Prayer is an important tool that you have as a Christian. In Ephesians 6, Paul speaks about the armor of God. Paul mentions only two offensive weapons, the word of God and prayer. Paul tells you that you are to be “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”.

Prayer changes things. However, if you are going to change the world, then you need to learn how to pray. Jesus taught you how to pray when HE showed the pattern of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. However, you must remember that the words in the Lord’s Prayer are an outline for how you are to pray. Praying the Lord’s Prayer in vain repetition is not pleasing to the Lord. In fact, just before Jesus taught HIS’ disciples in what manner they were to pray, HE warned them by saying “when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7).

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus laid out six elements that should be apart of your prayer life. The six elements that should be in your prayers are as follows: praise to God, yielding to God’s will for your life, ask for provision, ask for forgiveness, ask for deliverance from temptation, and then return to giving God the glory.

Jesus started the Lord’s Prayer by saying “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9). The word “hallowed” here means to make holy, purify or consecrate. You have a duty to God to sing forth HIS praises. Once when the Pharisees tried to have Jesus rebuke those who were singing HIS’ praises, Jesus replied “if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40).

When Solomon was dedicating the temple to the Lord, he started out his prayer by saying “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart” (I Kings 8:23). Solomon understood the importance of giving God the glory. Solomon had seen the glory of the Lord and his heart just naturally sang forth the Lord’s praises when he prayed.

The night that Solomon was given a blank check by God to ask whatever he wanted, Solomon had started that night by offering a thousand burnt offerings. There was nothing in the law of Moses that required Solomon to make a thousand burnt offerings unto the Lord but Solomon did so because he desired to bring honor to God’s name. Because Solomon sought to honor the Lord, the Lord desired to exalt Solomon and HE gave Solomon that which he asked for.

The second element of the Lord’s Prayer that needs to be implemented into your prayer life is that of yielding your rights to God. Jesus taught “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus not only taught the principle of praying the Lord’s will be done but HE actually lived it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39).

Jesus was able to pray that the Lord’s will be done in HIS’ life because Jesus understood what the Lord’s will was. One of the most powerful prayers that you can pray as a Christian is one in which you are praying that God fulfill HIS will in your life. David actually prayed this prayer when he prayed “Therefore now, Lord let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.” (1 Chronicles 17:23).

Do you want to see your faith grow, then simply start taking the time to understand God’s will for your life and start praying God will fulfill HIS plan. When Abimelech was cursed for taking Sarah, Abraham’s wife, God told Abimelech to have Abraham pray for him. Abraham prayed according to God’s direction for Abimelech and the curse was lifted from Abimelech’s household. The same thing occurred in Job’s life. God told Eliphaz, Eildad and Zophar that HIS’ wrath was kindled against them (Job 42:7). God told them to have Job pray for them. In the case of both Abraham and Job, the will of God was made known, all they had to do was pray that the Lord’s will be done and their faith was increased.

Samuel was once faced with a difficult problem, the people desired a king. Samuel came before the Lord regarding the Lord’s will for Israel to have a king (1 Samuel 8:6). God showed to Samuel what HIS’ will was regarding Israel having a king. Because Samuel understood the will of God, Samuel was able to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. Samuel’s obedience to God’s will was directly connected to his understanding of what God’s will for his life was.

If you do not understand what God’s will is for your life, then you need to ask God for direction. How can you come to God in prayer yielding your life to do HIS will if you have not first ascertained HIS’ will for your life? “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8).

The third element of prayer that you need to implement into your prayer life is the requesting for daily provision. Jesus taught that you were to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11). You are not a self-made man; you cannot live on this earth with your own strength. You need to learn that all things come from God and that you need to cry out to HIM for your daily provision.

Your daily provision is more than just food. In Matthew 6:31 Jesus commands us to “take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Instead you are commanded to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).

Rather than worry about those things that you think you have need of, you need to take them to the Lord in prayer. Hannah and Rachel both desired children however their response to their need for children differed greatly. Hannah “was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10). Hannah turned her request over to God and God heard her prayer and gave her the desire of her heart. Rachel on the other hand did not turn to the Lord and instead she came to Jacob her husband and “said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Genesis 30:1).

Asking for the Lord to provide is an important part of your prayer life. King Asa had the Ethiopian army coming against him. Asa “cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude.” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Asa understood that deliverance would come from God. Because Asa cried out to God, God showed HIMSELF strong in the life of Asa.

However, later on in Asa’s life, he relied upon his own strength and did not cry out to God to provide his daily substance. God was disappointed with Asa and sent Hanani the seer to remind Asa that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

The fourth element that needs to be apart of your prayers is to ask forgiveness for your violations of God’s perfect law. Jesus taught you that you are to pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12). David is a good example to us of how we are to have a repentant heart. David was always quick to come to God and seek the Lord’s mercy when David saw that he had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

However, if you study prayer, not only do you have an obligation to confess your own sins, but you will notice that many great men confessed the sins of the people. When Daniel prayed in Daniel 9, you learn that Daniel started his prayer by making confession. Daniel prayed “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled” (Daniel 9:5).

Nehemiah also confessed the sins of the nation of Israel when he had heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. Nehemiah prayed “I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee, both I and my father’s house have sinned.” (Nehemiah 1:6). Ezra also had a similar experience when he rent his garments and prayed “I am ashamed … for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6).

Yes, it is important for you to confess your own sins to God, but it is also important that you intercede on behalf of the nation that God has placed you in. Moses often interceded with God on behalf of the nation of Israel, why shouldn’t you pray for those whom God has placed in your life that they will see the iniquity of their sin?

The fifth element of prayer that is often overlooked is that you are to pray that God will deliver you from temptation. Jesus taught you to pray “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). How many trials and temptations would you avoid if you simply asked God to give you the strength to avoid falling short of God’s perfect law.

Everyone likes to pray Jabez’ prayer. They fall in love with the concept of praying for God to bless them and to enlarge their borders. However, Jabez also prayed that the Lord “wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” (1 Chronicles 4:10). Jabez understood the consequences of violating God’s perfect law and it was his desire that he live a life pleasing unto the Lord. If he sinned, God would have to punish him and the consequences of God’s punishment would be grievous.

God has promised that “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God has given you the ability to avoid the temptation of sin. However, if you are not willing to take the time to ask God to deliver you from sin, why should you be surprised when you find your spirit willing but your flesh week.

The sixth element of prayer as taught to you in the Lord’s Prayer is another element of praise to God. Jesus understood that it is our natural human reaction to simply ask for those things that we desire. However, you need to become God focused with your prayers and as such, Jesus taught that you should end your prayers with another session of praising God. Jesus taught “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” (Matthew 6:13).

Daniel was faced with a decree that he was not allowed to pray for 30 days. Daniel may have been a captive in Babylon but when Daniel prayed, he “gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel understood that God was in control and as such, Daniel was not afraid of the king’s decree. Daniel praised God because God deserved to hear Daniel’s praises.

The question then arises how often is one to pray. Paul taught that you are to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 about a widow who desired to be avenged of her enemies. The widow was persistent and eventually the judge granted her request. Jesus asked whether when HE returned whether he would “find faith on the earth.” (Luke 18:8). It is clear that Christ expects HIS’ followers to be faithful in prayer especially since they know how they are supposed to pray.

James tells us that Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18). Elijah understood the importance of earnest prayer. Scripture shows us that Elijah had to pray seven times for it to rain again. Elijah knew that it was the Lord’s will for it to rain, but seven times Elijah had to send his servant to go look and see if the Lord had answered his prayer yet. (I Kings 18:41-46).

Prayer is a time when you seek God’s face. It is not a time where you seek the praises of man. Jesus warned that “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6). Jesus is not saying that every time you pray your prayers must be in secret. While there were times in Jesus’ life where HE went up onto a mountain alone to pray, there were two specific times where Jesus brought Peter, James and John with HIM to pray with HIM.

The important thing is that you have a right attitude with God. The purpose of your prayer should be to talk with God, it should not be to reveal to others your spirituality. Jesus told another parable about a Pharisee who stood up to pray in the temple and expounded to God all his virtues. Jesus told us that “for every one that exaleth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14).

If you feel that God is not hearing your prayers, it might be important to examine your prayer life. Solomon tells us that the Lord “heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29). However, Solomon warns that “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9). Thus if you are not willing to hear God’s will for your life, do not be surprised when God does not answer your prayers.

Paul instructed Timothy that “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1 Timothy 2:8). It is important to understand that if anger is in your heart, your prayers will be hindered. Jesus taught that “if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24).

In addition to ensuring that your conscience is clear of anger, you must also approach your prayer without doubt. You must be like Abraham’s servant who was willing to ask God a very specific prayer in what the young virgin had to do in order to qualify as the Lord’s chosen to be Isaac’s wife. Abraham’s servant did not doubt God’s ability to answer specific prayer because he had seen God answer prayers for his master Abraham. Because he did not doubt, Abraham’s servant had a powerful testimony of seeing God work through him.

In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter instructs husbands to “dwell with them [their wives] according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” God made the husband and wife one, if husbands were not loving “their wives as their own bodies” then they were not one with their wife and Peter was warning that this would have a consequences upon the man’s prayer life. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman with God, if man does not honor his relationship with his wife, he is not honoring God and thus his prayers will suffer.

Prayer will change your life. When Jesus prayed “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” (Luke 9:29). When Moses spoke with God “the skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:30).

The New Testament church understood the importance of prayer. When Herod put Peter in prison, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” (Acts 12:5). God worked a miracle that night and allowed Peter to walk free. The church saw first hand the power of prayer because they joined together to intercede to God on behalf of Peter.

The disciples had walked with Jesus and they understood the importance of prayer. As the church grew, murmuring arose because the widows were being neglected. The disciples appointed seven men to serve the Lord while they continued to “give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4). The church was growing because the disciples understood that prayer had to be a priority. The disciples were faithful in their prayers and God was faithful in using them to expand HIS’ church here on this earth.

You may not always know how to pray but “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26). It is not all about you, you must always remember that “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8).

It is time for you to come to God in prayer. It is time that you humble yourself and ask HIM to show HIMSELF strong in your life. It is time that you seek the Lord’s will for your life so that God can increase your faith as you see HIM answer your prayers. You have not because you ask not. It is time for you to learn how to ask God to give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. When HE reached the garden, HE had HIS disciples wait for HIM but requested that Peter, James and John continue with HIM. Jesus then told HIS three disciples that they were to watch as HE prayed. HE then went a little further and fell down on HIS face and prayed. After praying for one hour, Jesus came back to the place where HE requested HIS three disciples to wait and found them asleep. Jesus asked Peter why he could not watch for one hour.

Peter desired to stay vigilant and be with HIS Lord; however, he allowed his desire for sleep to take precedence over his desire for spiritual things. Peter’s spirit was ready but his flesh was weak. The disciples could not stay alert and learn a valuable lesson in prayer because they yielded to their physical desire for sleep.

Jesus desired that HIS disciples grow closer to HIM by observing HIM pray for an hour. This was a very important time to Jesus, a time when HE spoke with HIS Father. Usually when Jesus talked with HIS Father, HE went alone up into the mountains. Jesus had taught HIS disciples how to pray, but now HE desired that they see just how HE prayed.

One could wonder how much stronger the ministry of these three disciples would have been had they simply overcome the temptation to sleep and watched Christ pray these three hours. Peter, James and John had a desire to put the Lord first, but they yielded to the temptation of the flesh to fall asleep.

Satan knows your weakness. There is a battle within over doing that which is right in the eyes of God and doing that which is right in your own eyes. While God calls you to draw closer to HIM, Satan will tempt you with the things of this world so as to cause you to draw your attention away from God. In order to draw closer to God, there will be times where you must put aside the desires of the flesh in order to put on the things of God.

God desires that you draw closer to HIM. Satan desires that you stay entangled with the things of this world. God desires that you spend time in prayer, in reading the Bible and in fasting so as to draw closer to HIM. Satan desires that you fill your time with entertainment, worldly education and obsession with the things of this word in order to stay as far from God as he can get you. As you see from this passage, Peter had already won the spiritual battle in that his spirit desired to do the right thing, but he had yet to take control over his body and thus he yielded to temptation.

You must prepare yourself for the spiritual battles that God will call you into. Peter’s heart was in the right place but he allowed his physical desires to take priority over his mind and heart. When you fill your mind with the things of God, you are adding virtue into your life. Satan desires that your mind be controlled by your physical desires whereas God desires that your mind control your physical desires. In order to win the battle over temptation, your virtuous mind must control your physical desires. There is more to avoiding temptation then simply wishing to do the right thing. You must take the time to prepare for temptation by filling your mind with the things of God.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave you a template of how you are supposed to pray to God. Towards the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer you see that you are expected to lay aside your own ambitions and your own desires in order to pursue the expansion of God’s kingdom and HIS will here on earth. These are not mere simple words that Jesus intended for you to recite by memory. These words have deep meaning. While you can simply say the words and go your way, if you really desire to have a close relationship with HIM, in order to pray these words, you must have a change of heart.

Since the very first sin, man has done that which is right in his own eyes. Man’s natural inclination is to serve himself and do those things that are pleasing to him. However, God has a higher calling for your life. God desires that you learn to live your life doing that which is right in HIS eyes. God desires that you change your perspective from doing what seems right to you to doing what is right for God.

You cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and mean it unless you have a change of heart. While Christ was here on this earth, HE constantly was going off by HIMSELF to pray. During his prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ had to yield HIMSELF to doing God’s will. Christ could not do what was expedient for HIM; HE had to do HIS Father’s will.

If you are going to pray that God’s will be done here on earth, than you must take the time to hear HIS’ will for your life. If you are going to pray that God’s will be done here on earth, than you must be willing to follow God’s will for your life. If you are going to pray that God’s will be done here on earth, than you must take the time to encourage others to hear God’s will and obey. You cannot serve two masters, either you serve God and pursue HIS’ will here on earth, or you serve yourself and do whatever you want.

If you are going to pray the Lord’s Prayer and mean it, then you must take the time to change your perspective on life. You must fill your life with the things of God. You cannot allow your mind to be filled with the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. You must take the time to fill your life with virtue. Virtue will give you the moral power to accept God’s strength and overcome the temptations of this world. Rather than allowing your temptations to overcome you, because you have added virtue to your life, your relationship with God is more important to you and as such, you have the power and strength to resist the devil so he will flee from you.

Satan desires to get you to follow your own will while you are here on this earth. He does not want you thinking about God’s will let alone praying that God’s will be done here on earth. If you treat the Lord’s Prayer as mere memorization with no meaning behind the words, then he will be able to distract you into doing what is right in your own eyes.

Nonetheless, as a Christian, it is your duty to ensure that when you speak with God, you do not say words just because they sound good or that they sound righteous. Instead, your focus in prayer needs to be seeking the Lord’s will and following it. You must put aside your own will in order to seek God’s will and you cannot put aside your own will as long as you are pursuing the things of this world rather than the things of God.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, and he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jesus is foretelling of Peter’s denial of HIMSELF. However, while Jesus knew that Peter would deny HIM, Jesus prayed for Peter that this would not cause him to lose faith. Jesus thus prayed for Peter’s conversion from sin. Jesus could have prayed that Peter have the strength to not to sin. However, Jesus understood the will of God and as such, HE did not pray for the stopping of the denial but instead prayed for the changed heart after the sin.

We know that at the garden of Gethsemane Jesus told Peter that prayer would give him the strength to avoid temptation. Jesus told Peter what he needed to do in order to avoid temptation. Peter was human and was not able to pray with Jesus and as such, he did not have the strength to resist the temptation. After Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus took Peter on a walk were he instructed Peter to feed the HIS’ sheep. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was able to preach the gospel so that 3,000 came to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.

Jesus could have prayed that Satan not tempt Peter. Jesus could have prayed that Peter would have the strength to pray. However understood the sin nature of man and that Peter needed to be broken before HE could be used. Jesus’ prayer is very insightful to us as believers who pray for those who are weaker in the faith and those who do not believe at all. Like Jesus, we must understand that every man has a choice to accept Jesus and they have a choice to prepare for temptation, and they have the choice whether to sin.

When you see someone is violating the law of the Lord, you should pray that they will have the strength to rise from their sin to once again live a life productive for the Lord. Solomon tells us that the righteous may fall seven times but they continue to rise. So likewise, we are sinful beings and we will fall short of the glory of God. Jesus knows that we will sin and that we cause HIM great disappointment when we fail to obey HIM.

Pray for those who you know are struggling with a sin. Pray that the Lord will give them the strength to be converted from their sin and be used of God. Jesus knew of the trouble Peter would face and HE prayed a blessing that Peter would strengthen the brethren.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There are two results that can follow when someone sins. One can either be like Judas who sins, is convicted of his sin, and does not allow that conviction to change him and instead, is driven further from God. However, one can follow the path of Peter who on the same night sinned, was convicted of his sin, but he allowed that conviction of sin to deepen his love for the Lord and to strengthen him so that he could fulfill the Master’s calling. Jesus prayed for Peter’s response of faith after his sin and this prayer was answered. So too, we need to pray for our brethren that their sins will not cause them to stumble further.

Pray that God will break an individual of their sin and use that brokenness for the furtherance of HIS purpose for their life. Pray that those who are in the faith will rise from their sin to be used of God and serve HIM with all their heart. Pray for your brethren that they will go and do great things for God. Pray that they do not lose the faith.