All he asked of them was to pray. To me one of the saddest stories in the Bible is the night before Jesus was to be crucified and HE KNEW IT. HE went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and asked the disciples to pray and keep watch only to come back an hour later and find them sleeping. He came and went 3 times and on each return he found them sleeping. Each time he woke them up and asked them to pray. Jesus was in such anguish that he sweated while praying and His sweat was described as “drops of BLOOD”. There are 3 accounts of this in the Bible, Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46, and Mark 14:32-42. It is well worth reading all 3 accounts.
The disciples were the people closest to Jesus. They had followed Him and lived life with Him. When He asked them to keep watch and pray, they slept! How sad!!! Faithful friends? Yes, I think they were, but they were very weak humans which is where I identify!!! I probably could not have pulled an all-nighter praying either, except maybe for myself or my family. I am being BRUTALLY HONEST HERE!! I see myself as one of those disciples, but I don’t want to be the one falling asleep when I have a friend in anguish. I have often asked myself and God, what I can do to NOT be like that??? I want to be that FAITHFUL FRIEND who would pray and not forget a friend in anguish.
Of course, God has shown me that I can’t be all things to all people (recovering people pleaser), but He has shown me that I can pray anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t have to be fancy, long, or eloquent but the only thing it has to be is SINCERE! It doesn’t matter if the friend knows or not, just that it is done and Jesus knows. I love “ARROW PRAYERS” shot directly to God on behalf of others. I value them so when people “shoot them” for me!! God catches every one of them! James 5:16 tells us, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” It also says in Luke 22:42 to pray, “Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me, never the less, not my will, but yours, be done.” We pray knowing God hears our prayers, and our prayers avail much but we must leave the answer and will up to God. Trusting HIM to work and act according to HIS GOOD PURPOSE, even though we may not understand.
I personally have been the recipient of the Power of prayer. Everything has not always worked the way I have prayed and asked, but I have seen God’s hand at work many times for my greater good and that of my family. And if I haven’t seen, I have trusted HIM, realizing HE doesn’t owe me! Nevertheless, God has honored my request and desire and shown me how to be a faithful friend through “Arrow Prayers”. He has also shown me, especially as I have entered the “Back 9” and am at the age where I have experienced the death of friends my age, which is “IN MY FACE”, the reality of the brevity of life. I’ve been encouraged to pray more for the friends that I have and our children’s friends who I feel may not have a personal relationship with Jesus. I want to encourage you to develop “ARROW PRAYERS”. They are powerful and piercing. Straight to God’s ears! They can be used to make a SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE in the LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE, and you, in turn, can be A SIGNIFICANT FRIEND and SIGNIFICANTLY USED BY GOD! :)))))))