By: Otim Brian Sundison
When the time for jesus' persecution had come, he told his disciples and they started boasting that they would not leave Jesus to just die, even if it means dying with him. Jesus was like, "ok, let's wait and see" (Mark 14:27-30)
So they left that place and started going to the garden of Gethsemane where the event was to occur. On the way, he left nine of his disciples who didn't boast all that much and he continued with the other three.
Having reached the place, Mark 14:33 tells us that, Jesus became sore amazed and very heavy and he told them plainly about how distressed he was in the spirit. Then he said to them "watch", he moved a little further and threw himself to the ground to pray.
This was the right time for them to fight for Jesus as they were boasting because the enemy was already at work but they didn't notice. For they were waiting for the real physical fight. Nowonder the scripture says, where there is no vision, the people there perish. (Proverbs 29:18)
One hour later, Jesus came back to these fellows who were promising to die for him and found them sound asleep. He asked them, "you mean that you could not stay awake for just one hour?"
Then he told them plainly to pray otherwise they would fall into temptations and he went back. (Mark 14:38)
I want you to note that this time, he made it plain to them that if they don't pray, they would fall into temptation because the enemy is at work. And you would think they would rise up and pray with all there strength and might.
When Jesus came back the second time, he found them sound asleep and the scripture made it clear that they didn't even know what to tell Jesus because "their eyes were heavy".(Mark 14:40)
At this moment, they knew what to do but they could not do it, because they were bound by the power of Satan. It made them sleepy and their eyes heavy as they were being robbed off their master slowly.
They didn't know that this was the right time to fight the real battle.
Nevertheless, Jesus went back again and when he came back the third time, he still found them sound asleep and he told them, it's over continue sleeping now. He told them, the son of man has already been handed in the hand of the enemy.
Just as he was still talking to them, the soldiers arrived, and that was the time they woke up and realized they had to fight.
Know the kind of battle you are involved in and the timing for the battle
What I want to bring to your attention is that, they failed to recognize the time when Satan was fighting them in the spirit and they gave in to the power of sleep.
Even when they were told what to do, they couldn't do it because they didn't know how to overcome the power of sleep. And so, they were robbed. Nowonder Paul said, "wake up sleepy christians." (Ephesians 5:14).
By the time they realized, they didn't even know how to respond because they started acting according to the flesh by cutting someone's ear, Jesus just had to stop them because it was already too late.
They didn't know that the things they were seeing in the physical were just manifestation of the things which had already happened in the spirit.
So I tell you now, At that time when you feel sleepy, depressed, sorrowful and heavy in your eyes or body, it's the time to fight the real battle because those defeats you see in life, first occur in the spiritual and manifest in the physical.
Don't wait for things to happen then you start abusing, fighting, complaining etc.
How to fight at that moment
This is how Jesus overcame, Luke 22:43-44, an angel of the lord gave him strength and indeed he prayed so hard that sweat started falling off his body like great drops of blood.
Even though God didn't change his story, he was comforted in the spirit, in that, when they were threatening to kill him, mark 14:61 tells us that, "he held his peace."
So when you have prayed, maintain your peace even though things doesn't seem to have changed, at least be comforted that God is aware of all those things happening in your life. Amen
Admonition
When you feel heavy or sleepy, always ask God to give you the spirit to pray earnestly. Amen
Prayer
Lord God of heaven and earth, I thank you for your word today, may you open my eyes to see the reality of Christian life and grant me the spirit to respond accordingly. In Jesus' name. Amen
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