One person was very excited to share that whenever he starts praying he goes to sleep. He quoted Psalms saying that God gives his beloved good sleep. (Psalms 127:2) So, he claimed he was beloved of the Lord. Sadly, he neither understood prayer, nor sleep.
Garden of Gethsemane: Lord Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry demonstrated by example the importance of prayer. He invited Peter, James, and John for a special prayer vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, the three slept off and could not be awake and pray for an hour. The Lord rebuked them. (Matthew 26:40)
Sleepy disciples: It is natural for humans to sleep. However, during extraordinary times, people wake up and perform certain tasks. When facing important tasks, it would be wise to pray fervently and earnestly, sometimes sacrificing sleep. The Lord expected the disciples to understand the historic moment and spiritually prepared for that. The disciples sadly failed.
Willing or weak: The spirit is indeed willing, but the body is weak. (Matthew 26:41) The body is unable to match up with challenges in the spiritual realm.
Discipline the body: Hence, there is a need to discipline the body and keep it under the obedience of the spirit. A person should be able to control, discipline, and direct the body. It should not be manipulated by emotions or other sinful habits. Paul states that he disciplines his body like a sportsperson. (I Corinthians 9:27)
Priority: Prayer is considered an essential like breathing for the physical body. The leaders who accomplished great things as recorded in the Bible and the history of the church were those who trusted God who listens, answers, intervenes, and does miracles on behalf of His people. When disciples realize the importance of prayer, they will certainly prioritize prayers.
Failure need not be final: Jonah was called to minister in the city of Nineveh. He probably stopped praying and tried to escape from the Will, Purpose, and Presence of God. However, he prayed from the fish’s stomach and God answered his prayers.
Do I have the spiritual discipline of prayer?