“…What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” — Matthew 26:40-41 (NKJV)
One important lesson I’ve learned from the account of Jesus and His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane is that we ought to offer prayers early for the affairs of our lives to avoid praying under pressure or becoming victims of life’s circumstances. As the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ drew near, He felt the need to pray, so He took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. However, they were too tired and sleepy to pray. When He returned from praying, He saw them asleep and said, “…Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” (Matthew 26:40 NKJV). He urged them to pray in advance so they wouldn’t fall into temptation. Unfortunately, Peter, one of the disciples, did fall into temptation later because he was too sleepy to pray. If he had prayed early, perhaps he would not have succumbed.
This same principle applies to us today. If we pray early, there are situations we can avoid, embarrassments that won’t arise, and difficulties and illnesses that won’t affect us. As Christians, we must choose to pray early because today’s prayers secure tomorrow’s breakthroughs and blessings.
Some people only pray when things go wrong. While everything is fine, they neglect prayer, but as soon as troubles arise, they scramble to pray. When they don’t see results, they become frustrated, not realizing that they caused the delay by neglecting prayer earlier. Waiting until problems arise to start praying is a recipe for frustration. But if you pray early, you can address situations before they become problematic, and even if challenges surface, they will not be as severe as they could have been.
Don’t be like the student who knows they have an exam but waits until two days before the test to start preparing. Delaying prayer delays blessings and prolongs challenges, but praying early hastens your miracles and deliverance. So, what will you do about this? Make a conscious decision to pray early and consistently. God bless you!
Today’s Rhema
When you delay in prayers, you delay your blessings and prolong your challenges, but when you pray on time, you speed up things and hasten your deliverance!
Confession for the Day
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for reminding me of the importance of praying early to avoid temptation. I declare today that the spirit of supplication takes hold of me, and I will pray without ceasing, in season and out of season, in the name of Jesus! Amen!
