The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 22:39-46, “And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

40 And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’

41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,

42 saying, ‘Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.’

43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

45 And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

46 and said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’”

Sleep is a natural condition of rest for the body. When we get sufficient sleep, we find ourselves refreshed and ready to attend to the affairs of another day. When we don’t get sufficient sleep, we find ourselves tired and depressed and unwilling to undertake the day’s tasks.

Jesus warned His disciples to engage in prayer, so they would be strengthened to resist any solicitation to give in to the devil. Jesus’ own prayer was so intense that an angel from Heaven came and strengthened Him. Just imagine how you would pray if you were facing the agony of a cross and death the next day.

The disciples, however, yielded to sleep. How could they sleep on the eve of the agony Jesus was to face?

Sleep to them was caused “from sorrow.” Lupe means pain of the body or the mind. Grief is the mental unwillingness to face an undesirable situation. They were unwilling to face what was intended for Jesus. It was the equivalent of a small child covering his face and hiding his eyes to sheild them from something unpleasant. Prayer would have solved the disciples’ problem. They chose sleep instead.

Life is filled with situations that often discourage us. Prayer is God’s means of encouraging us! Neglecting to pray is neglecting to trust Him. It’s that trust, that relaxed willingness to face any situation, that refreshes us and gives us the victory. Some things need to be accomplished in the daytime instead of the night. Night is the time of darkness; and it is all-too-often the time of discouragement. You can refuse to be discouraged!

You can make up your mind to yield to the Holy Spirit’s strength. It’s when we “give up,” that He “takes us up” and victory floods the situations we encounter. Pray earnestly and faithfully. Sleep peacefully. Awaken excitedly! Victory is yours!

We pray faithfully for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”