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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan:  1 John 5:13-15

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

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Daily Devotional: Start Small—Stay Awake

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Luke 22:45-46

A busy week. A big meal. A long walk. A late night out. A heavy burden. If you and I joined Jesus in the garden on the night of His arrest, we’d probably fall asleep too. “No. Surely, I wouldn’t. And I’d feel terrible if I did.” Yup, we would.

I have a hard time praying faithfully when there are few distractions. How could I possibly stay on track when the stakes are higher? I don’t have the mental muscle memory to follow through. We were reminded this past Sunday that God invites us to get close to Him—to ask big, seek deeply, and knock persistently. This sounds amazing! But like the disciples who were just a stone’s throw from Jesus, I can’t keep my eyes open.

Disappointingly, on the night of Christ’s arrest, His closest friends fell asleep three times after being specifically told to stay alert and pray (Mt. 26:36-36; Mk. 14:32-42). That night, their Savior was full of sorrow and so were they. Wouldn’t that be the moment that ignites undistracted prayer in a true believer? Apparently not.

Pastor and theologian Eugene Peterson notes a disturbing reality in The Wisdom of Each Other, “Among Christians, disciplined prayer tops the charts in the listings of failed resolutions—resolutions concealing into procrastination and guilt.” This hits home with me. I’ll pray when I have time. I’ll pray when I tell someone I will. I’ll pray when the moment is right. But then I don’t. Meaningful prayer doesn’t happen “someday when,” but it begins with intentionality and practice today. We can only start where we are, not where we wish we were already.

If we desire to become followers of Jesus who ask, seek, and knock, our training plan is simple: Start small—stay awake. It’s universal advice for anything you want to add to your regimen. Why not do this with prayer? Pray to start the day. Pray before a meal. Pray with a friend. Pray during a project. Pray when you hear good news. Pray when the news breaks your heart. Sprinkle prayer everywhere. Not tomorrow, today. Right now. I’m certain that what’s dormant or despairing in us will draw closer to the heart of God.

Next Steps

Seriously. Pray. Right now. Don’t put it off. And if today’s devotion struck a chord in you, call or text a friend. Pray for them and pray together.

Staying awake to pray may seem too small of a starting point, but try it. You’ll be surprised by the prayerfulness that builds in you from there.