Old Testament

Psalms

Proverbs

Gospel

Epistals

Psa 68:28-35

Prov 10:1-11

Mark 14:26-42

1 Cor 15:35-58

Mark 14:38, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Dear brothers and sisters,

Loving greetings in Jesus name. Today let us see about the importance praying at the time of our difficulties and hardships. When the lord was going through the problems Mark 14:33 & 34, “Jesus took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Vs.34, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch while I pray."

Jesus went further all alone and prayed to God submitting himself to the will of God as in Mark 14:35 & 36, “Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. Vs.36, "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." But the disciples whom Jesus Christ took with him to pray could not pray and support Jesus through their prayers at the time of distress and trouble so he asked them why they are sleeping as in Mark 14:37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Jesus Christ even at the time of his distress taught them the important lesson prayer only can keep them from falling into temptations as in Mark 14:38, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." When the disciples could not pray and give support Jesus did not got discouraged by that but he prayed one more time as in Mark 14:39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. Again when he came back to them they were still sleeping not able to watch and pray because their eyes were heavy with sleep as in Mark 14:40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.”

Why they could not watch and pray for one hour? Mat 26:40 & 41, “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. Vs.41, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." The body is weak and it is not allowing us to pray in the spirit. It is like a battle we have to pray and take victory in this to have a successful spiritual life.

What happens when we yield to the temptation of sleep and fail to watch and pray at the time of our difficulties? The enemy comes to spoil our fields with weeds as in Mat 13:25, “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.”

May the lord help each one of us to watch and pray in these days so that the enemy will not have the opportunity to spoil our fields with weeds. Amen.

Your Web-Site Pastor,
Rev. Dr. T. Marcus Devasahayam

Web-site: www.barodabibleclub.org e-mail: marcusbbc@yahoo.com Mobile: 91-9327243600 ,Church 3096882 / 5540651.
Res : 3, 2nd floor, Arpita Complex, Priyalaxmi Mills Road, Vadodara – 390003, Gujarat, India, Phone:91-265-2335651.

Prov 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Psa 68:32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah

Mark 13:35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
Mark 13:36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
Mark 13:37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"
Luke 22:46 "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Mat 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
Mat 13:26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
Mat 13:27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
Mat 13:28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
Mat 13:29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Gibraltar

1 The majority of the population is Catholic
2 Specific outreach challenges — to the 6 million tourists, the 7,000+ Moroccan workers (with one small Arabic-speaking fellowship), the Jewish community and the South Asian-origin Hindus

Greece

1 Increasing religious freedoms being gained despite ongoing opposition
2 After centuries of confrontation between Greece and Turkey, the unexpected lowering of tensions since the Istanbul earthquake of 1999 opens up real possibilities for resolution of such intractable problems as the division of Cyprus
Challenges for Prayer
1 Greece was the first European country to be evangelized (Acts 16:10), but Christianity is now more cultural than spiritual, with only 2% of the population in church on an average Sunday
2 The Orthodox Church was a focal rallying point in the dark years of Turkish and German occupations
3 Discrimination, harassment and persecution of minorities still happens — especially those who ‘proselytize’ — Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses
4 Greek Evangelicals are few, socially marginalized and mainly concentrated in the Athens, Thessaloniki and Katerini areas
a) Courage to witness in a society that generally despises, and occasionally persecutes, them
b) Unity in the Spirit
c) Greater growth after small gains during the past 40 years
d) Vision for multiplying congregations in many centres as yet without an evangelical witness
5 Widespread evangelism with effective follow-up discipling is the need
a) EHC’s goal to reach every home with gospel literature
b) The OM Love Europe and Hellenic Ministries’ (HM) summer evangelistic campaigns
c) The Thessaloniki Evangelistic Team’s year-round evangelism and summer outreaches
Above all, pray for the development of a nation-wide vision for prayer, outreach and church planting
6 Theological training has been a lack
7 Many Greeks have never heard a clear presentation of the gospel
a) The 150 islands
b) University students
c) Albanians, who have flooded into Greece during the 1990s seeking seasonal employment, many of them illegally
d) Immigrant communities in the Athens area
e) Indigenous ethnic minorities in the north
f) The 200,000 drug addicts
8 Foreign missions have not found Greece an easy field because of strong nationalism, visa restrictions and the high degree of cultural adaptation required
9 Literature has been a fruitful form of evangelism
10 Christian Radio and TV
11 The large Greek diaspora totals nearly 5 million in 88 countries: USA 2 million; Germany 500,000; Australia 272,000; Britain 220,000; Canada 132,000; Italy 100,000; South Africa 72,000