Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

 

 

To watch means “to keep vigil as a devotional exercise; to be awake during the night; to be attentive or vigilant; to keep guard; to keep someone or something under close observation; to observe as a spectator; and to be expectant” (merriam-webster.com). 

 

Jesus wants us to watch in every sense – to wait in the quiet and calm, to develop patience in that waiting, to listen carefully to His voice whispering to our hearts.  Does He merely ask us to be passive observers, as one particular definition describes?  Perhaps on occasion we are called to do this, as long as we are engaged in the watching.  

 

To watch in the beckoning call from God does not mean laziness, in which we do nothing but blankly notice people or our surrounding milieu.  Instead, watching must be a joint act of the will and of the heart, in which we pick up nuances from conversations with loved ones or perhaps become keenly aware of a subtle plea for help from a neighbor or even stranger.

 

 

We must create a space and time in our daily lives that is devoid of noise and chaos;  Jesus prefaced this with the subsequent invitation to pray.

       

Prayer Points

1. Father, grant us the grace to cultivate the discipline necessary for a vigilant prayer life. Help us to rely on Your Divine Grace for consistency and constancy in our spiritual journey, enabling us to grow in discipline and deepen our connection with You.

 

 

2. Father, give us with the spirit of vigilance, to watch and pray with attentiveness and love. Teach us to be awake, alert, and vigilant in our daily lives, so we may discern Your voice and follow Your will more closely.

 

 

3. Almighty God, help us create spaces of silence in our lives, free from the noise and distractions that prevent us from hearing Your call. Teach us in disciplining our minds and hearts to focus solely on You, so we may be fully present in our prayer and watchfulness.

 

 

4.  Father, give us for Your strength to discipline our minds, hearts, and bodies, overcoming the temptations that challenge us, with the knowledge that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

 

 

5. Pray that God will fill our hearts with a deep love for Him. That this love will transform our prayer from a duty into a joy, enabling us to rest in His love and to participate fully in the communion of His presence.

 

 

6. Pray that God will teach us the value of patience to understand the value of connecting with Him