“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

The disciples would watch Jesus taken away and be put to death. We do this as well every time we hear the Lord’s name taken in vain. We do this every time we meet with evil in the world. We need to pray constantly so that we are not tempted. We often tell ourselves we will study, we will pray, we will attend service. Too many times, the weakness of our bodies gets in the way. We are exhausted from work; that show looks good; my alarm clock goes off five days a week: I thought I would sleep this morning.

We are like the disciples too often, and fall asleep instead of praying and spending time with our Savior.

Are you watching? Are you praying that you may not fall into temptation? Temptation is out there everywhere. It creeps into our homes and lives in such a way that we do not always see it. We need to have our body prepared to meet the temptations by putting on God’s armor, which means we need to study and be prepared. Do not be caught by a weak body! Be willing to be prepared. STUDY God’s word and pray to Him daily.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.

Today, as our country witnesses a new President come into office, let us pray that our country’s hope lies not with him but with the Creator of this world, our Father As we come together at this inauguration time, let us pray that this new leader acknowledges the hope that we as Christians have. That hope is the hope in Jesus Christ and our glorious Father.
As a family of believers, let us pray for our nation and its leaders that they may see the hope of our Father and allow His rules and laws to govern this great land of ours.

Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;
hear me and answer me...
I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest...
But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice...
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall...
But as for me, I trust in you.

Listen to my prayer, Lord; also, help me listen to your answer. Help me to learn from the struggles I face. Help me to realize you are always at my side. I often wish I could run and hide from the problems. I often feel like I am the only one with troubles. Oh, to fly away, far away but where would I go? I know that you hear me when I call out to you. I know that you are always there. I know that your timing is not mine and that I just have to wait patiently on you, Lord. Therefore, I throw to you my burdens. I toss my cares your way, knowing they are dealt with. I, then, strive to live my life, as you would have me to do. I just need learn to enjoy the comfort of your rest and the beauty of your timing.

Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which can not be shaken but
endures forever.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. Do we know what Mount Zion is? I went looking. I found that it was a “hill just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The term Zion became a synecdoche referring to the entire city of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel.” (Merriam-Webster) There was another definition I liked better that I found that on Answers: “An idealized, harmonious community; utopia.” Yes, it is that perfect society; it is being with our Father in heaven. That place “can not be shaken.” Because no matter what is done here on earth, whether we reach Mount Zion or not, it will be there. Through the storms of life, through the rains, through the droughts and through the good times, heaven is always there. Mount Zion, the place we all strive to reach, will always be there.

More importantly, we can reach Mount Zion’s peace and calm through prayer and having a personal relationship with Christ our mediator, our Savior. We can have this today by following God’s word.