Day 10: The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak #21 Day Purity Challenge
Matthew 26:36-41
Jesus Prays at Gethsemane
36At that time Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”
39Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
The scripture says that at Gethsemane Jesus was sorrowful and deeply distressed. These two words in this context means Jesus was in intense emotional pain, grieved, and felt very heavy in his soul. Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross and felt the weight of this assignment, so he asked three of his close disciples to accompany him as He went and prayed to His Father. Jesus cried out to God, that if it was possible, that He could take this cup from Him. Jesus humbled himself and told God, nevertheless your will be done.
Jesus took a break to return to his disciples and found them sleeping. Jesus reminded them, that they too should be watchful and prayerful, lest they fall into temptation. Jesus said, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Are you feeling the weight of something right now, that has you deeply distressed and in emotional pain? God reminds us that during this time, we must be vigilant, because our flesh is weakened.
When you are stressed, it places a greater demand on your body for oxygen, energy, and nutrients. Your body starts to crave snacks or sweets, high in fat and calories, but actually low in nutrients. You forget or skip proper meals and lack the motivation to prepare nutritious meals. Stress can also disrupt your sleep, cause your body to release adrenaline hormones due to the triggered fight or flight response, and if the stress continues will cause an inflammatory response in the body.
When you are stressed how does your body respond? Some are more or less hungry, some have unhealthy cravings for food or sex, some have muscle aches and pain, some can’t sleep or sleep too much, then some get very hot or cold.
Jesus reminds us that it is important to draw strength through prayer, so that the Father can comfort our soul. God is the lover of our souls and provides great emotional healing when we draw near to Him. God understands your pain, but if he took it all away in an instance, how would our spirits grow?
During intense pain and suffering, we are challenged to rise above it and surrender it to the Father. We have to give Him a sacrifice of praise and worship, from our spirit man. Be strengthened and comforted! Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have gone through this in times past and are going through this presently. I am praying that you would push pass your flesh and receive the refreshing oil of the Lord.
Journal Prompt: Read Psalm 13 and think of the goodness of God and what you are thankful for. Tell God how grateful you are to Him, sing to Him, and pray that He would give you grace for what you are experiencing and to remove any unnecessary weight from your shoulders.
Psalm 13
How Long, O LORD?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
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