Reading Matthew 26:36-46, I was struck about the importance of prayer.  Not that I don’t think prayer is important, I do!  I believe it is the basis of my walk with the Lord.  However, ‘western’ Christians, myself included, do not put a high enough of importance on prayer.  I cannot remember the last time that I ever gave up sleep in order to spend time in prayer.  Can you? 

Jesus took his three closest disciples with him to Gethsemane to Pray.  Peter, James and John.  He told them to “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Jesus was praying very earnestly.  He, as the scriptures says, “began to be sorrowful and troubled.”  Jesus knew that his time was coming when he would be arrested, and eventually crucified.  He is God the Son, which makes him omniscient.  Yet, even though he knows what must take place, he is still human, and can still feel everything and anything we would feel.  Emotions, tiredness, and pain.  All of which he has experienced by this time, with the exception to pain.  But I’m sure he knew what that was going to feel like.

Just put yourself in Jesus’ shoes, or sandals, for a minute.  You took your three closest friends to pray about what was about to take place.  You are tired, and you know that one of you friends that you choose to be a disciple will soon show up with some centurions to have you arrested and falsely accused.  And there is nothing you can do except pray.

The scripture says that he was overwhelmed with sorrow, but I do like how the NASV puts it, that he was “deeply grieved.”  That is such a better translation.  That he is so grieved about what is going to take place soon, that he knows there is nothing he can do except pray.

So he takes his three closest friends with him to pray and they can’t even stay awake for an hour to pray with him.  They all fall asleep.  When Jesus returned to his friends after a little while of praying, they were asleep and Jesus woke them up, asking Peter why they could not stay awake, and telling him to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  How true is that statement, that the spirit is willing, but the body is weak?  I know in my own life, I have many times put sleep over prayer.  It is so convicting to just write this.  I wonder sometimes why my prayer life is not where I would like it to be.  Well, I’m afraid if Jesus were to answer that question, he would say that I do not spend good quality time with him.  What does Jesus get from me when I do pray.  He usually gets what is left over.  That is so wrong of me.  He should get whats first, and then what is left over should go to everything else. 

Many months ago, I started a plan to get up even earlier than I usually do for work in order to start my day off with the Lord.  Sometimes, I am able to get up, but other times, I’m tired, so I continue to sleep in and will spend my time with the Lord when I get home in the evening from work.  Anywhere from  5:00 to 9:00.  The end of the day.  My spirit is willing, but my body is weak.  I give the Lord the end of my day, when he should get the start of my day. 

Here’s my challenge to everyone reading this.  We should, and need to give the Lord the first of our day.  If that means we need to make adjustments in our sleeping schedule so that we can get up earlier, then do it.  Spending time with the Lord should be the first thing we all do everyday.  I believe that the Lord will truly bless us, and maybe even use us to change our world, just like the disciples.  Make time for the Lord, first thing every morning.

My second challenge is, let’s all keep each other accountable.  I have another guy that I am accountable to, and I will ask him, along with my wife, to hold me accountable to putting the Lord first everyday.  Find someone to be accountable with, that will ask you if you are spending time with the Lord everyday.

Well, I’ve gone on long enough.  I didn’t even get to the rest of the passage, but I guess you have gotten my point of what the Lord is convicting me on.  God bless you all, and put the Lord first in everything.