Luke 22 - The Power of Prayer!

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[ 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
As Jesus nears the cross, we see Satan was in full force and fully active in making one last stand.  Satan enters Judas as he sets out to betray Jesus with a kiss and turn Jesus over to the chief priests.  Jesus says to the Peter, "Satan desires to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed that your faith might not fall, but after turning back you might strengthen your brothers."  Jesus knew Peter was going to betray him, but when he turned back Jesus prayed he would strengthen the disciples.  Finally, as Jesus is praying in agony in the garden, he prays that they might not fall into temptation.  We might conclude that as the devil knew his end was drawing near, he stepped up his attack even though he had no way to win.  He wanted to afflict as much damage as he could.     
Importantly, we see the common thread of prayer.  Jesus prayed for the disciples.  He prayed for himself for God to take the cup of suffering from him. Notably he concluded, "Not my will but your will be done."  Jesus asks the disciples to pray for him, but then they fall asleep unable to watch and pray. Finally after spending time agonizing in prayer in the garden he says, "Arise for my betrayer is at hand."  
What can we learn from this chapter?  As we follow Jesus and seek to be part of His kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven, our adversary, the devil, will seek to thwart us.  It is comforting to know Jesus is praying for us with all the saints in heaven.  We know our primary weapon in our battle is prayer along with the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit.  We also know that we will be tempted to not pray and prefer sleep to prayer.  I would have to say Satan's greatest weapon is to keep us from praying.  If prayer is the "war room" and the "boiler room", without it we are very vulnerable to temptation.  
If you are like me, I need to set aside a time to pray, usually in the morning. Once the day gets going it is way too easy to get distracted, and at the end of they day I am usually tired.  As the old hymn goes, "Oh the peace we often forfeit because we do not take it to the Lord in prayer!"
As we celebrate Easter tomorrow and Jesus risen from the dead, we have confidence that Jesus defeated sin, death and the power and the devil and given us the ability in this same power.

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