Mark 14: 38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The recorded words of Jesus by His disciples always reveal His deep love for all men, women and children. They also reveal a sincere desire to make life better for all He met. But over and above that, he always sought to bring to them the way of salvation from sin, with the hope of eternal life in heaven. His activities included much teaching, healing and other miracles. His source of spiritual strength came from the many hours spent in prayer to His own Father in heaven, and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Often His teaching included mention of the necessity of prayer for each believer, so they too could have spiritual strength to withstand temptation and other influences which could draw each away from salvation.
Luke 11: 1 “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples’.
Luke does not record the last line given in Matthew 6: 9 – 13
“In this manner, therefore pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”
The Lord’s Prayer is truly beautiful in completeness, yet brevity.
How amazing that finite sinful earthly people, are invited to come and pray to the God of the universe, with the assurance of being received. Matthew 7: 7, 8 “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The problem often is that we doubt, and do not ask often enough or large enough, for God loves to show His love in largeness when we trustingly come. That does not mean times will always be easy, just that we will be taken through them to His glory, to share His love and story with others.
Jesus returned to heaven victoriously, having never sinned. He had arisen from the grave, having previously being been put to death on a cross. Now later, from heaven He did not stop from trying educate God’s faithful followers on earth, and gave His beloved disciple John instruction, warnings and promises in a revelation and prophecy, whilst John was banished to Patmos for being a faithful Christian. Revelation 11, 12 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”
Dear Jesus, again today we sit at Your feet asking to be taught as your disciples to truly pray in truth and sincerity and be strengthened so we never give up loving You and bringing Your message and actions of love to others; with the anticipation of eternal life, very soon.