Today's Passage - Matthew 26:47-56

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 26:47-56   ...Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.   After Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, He saw that the disciples were still sleeping, so He woke them up. Jesus got up from prayer, but disciples but up from sleeping. Jesus was filled with peace and assurance, that's why when He was faced with His capture and the subsequent trials by Pilate, He was speaking with authority and wisdom. The disciples who just woke up from sleep, however, were in complete disarray and eventually all fled. The outcome from praying and not praying is so drastically different!   After Jesus resurrected, the disciple prayed in the upper room for ten days to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. After they received the Holy Spirit, they were filled with wisdom and authority. The disciples in the four gospels were cowardly and sleepy; they wanted to be promoted to high positions and become rich, but they were afraid to suffer and die; they are no different from us! In the Book of Acts, however, they were not afraid of death and beating, they sang while they were imprisoned, and they preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out demon with mighty power. The outcomes of praying and not praying were indeed striking! May God help us not to underestimate the power of prayer. Let us learn to pray and look upon God in our daily life!   Do you really want to understand God's will and be able to follow it? Just pray, and pray earnestly, pray eagerly, fast and pray, pray overnight, and God will surely not hide His will from you. It's not God who's confusing us, but ourselves. May God help us to learn to depend on God and seek God through prayer. Are you willing to begin now?   Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, please forgive us because we can't keep watch with you for long. We pity our own weakness more than we consider your will. May the Lord give us more burden for prayer, so that we will raise our holy hand anytime and anyplace to cry out to you! I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!