Mathew 26:40-41

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus was getting ready to die at Calvary. He gathered his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane with one purpose. The purpose was to pray so that the will of God could be done in His life. Gethsemane is on the East of Jerusalem beyond Kidron Valley. He hoped that the disciples would partner him in prayer. He took Peter, John, and James farther with him. Then he went farther and began to pray but when he came back, he found the disciples sleeping

Jesus knew that prayer would strengthen him to make it. He asked three people to be his prayer partners. Peter, John, and James. He went farther and fell on his face prayed for one hour and came back and found them sleeping. He was concerned and he asked them, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”

The challenge Jesus was giving to the disciples was to pray with him at least for one hour. We know he had to go back and pray a little more. He prayed until he prayed through. He knew that with prayer the purposes of God could overcome the enemy.

The purposes of God will not be accomplished until we choose to accept this challenge from the Lord to pray. These verses remind us that Jesus was not only speaking to the disciples about the importance of prayer, but he was also speaking to us.

“What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:37

Jesus knew that whenever people commit to seek God in prayer, God has promised to work in their midst.