Sit and wait... Jesus is praying.

I was listening to "When the heart waits" by Sue Monk Kidd and she said, "Sometimes, you just need to sit while Jesus prays."  I immediately had to go do the research. I knew immediately it was either in the Garden of Gethsemene or at the Transfiguration. I wanted to know the context so I could use this thought because so often we try to do so much when in truth we need to just sit and let Jesus intercede for us. 

So, I found in Mark 14:32-42 the simple reference.

I noticed immediately the phrase, "Sit here while I go and pray"  was said to the disciples that He did not take into the garden (v. 32). We don't know why Jesus did not take them into the garden while He prayed, but I speculate it is because there are times that we honestly need just those that will get the heart of the moment. Not everyone can carry the load of suffering and anguish in the moment. They just need to sit while Jesus intercedes. 

Wait.

Jesus took three with Him in His moment of anguish. Yet, even still they couldn't go all the way. He said to them in the garden, "Stay here and keep watch."  To keep watch implies watching like a guardian in a tower to make sure no one enters that should not. 

Wait and Watch.

When Jesus returned from praying He saw they had fallen asleep. You will notice that He spoke to Peter, "Watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation."  There are those we hold to a higher accountability.

Wait, watch, and pray to guard against temptation.

After Jesus' third time to go and pray, He tells them to "Rise! Let us go!"  

Action will come, but it comes after a period of waiting, watching, praying, and guarding against temptation. 

So is this a pattern we should follow? I definitely think it is worthy of noting in our times of crisis.

First, let's focus on who we should take with us when we pray in a time of crisis.

I recognize there will be those that fall into different categories in how involved they will be. 

There are those that will sit near by waiting. 

There will be a few that go and watch as a guardian.

There will be one that you want to pray against temptation because you will have a higher trust and their involvement will require more of them.

But all of them are to rise up when its time to go and face the enemy at hand. 

Through it all Jesus was the one praying.

You might say, "But, Tara that had to do with Jesus' anguish not mine! Why would He care to pray for me? My circumstance isn't that important. He has more important things to focus on." 

So let's focus on our role in a crisis. 

Listen to Jesus' response to those that draw near to God through Him in Hebrews 7:25.

"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

So, yes!  We should sit while Jesus prays. But in our sitting we seek to draw near to God through Jesus. We shouldn't be passive in our sitting. There should be an inner heart that actively draws near to God through Jesus. 

When we dont know what to do.

Sit and wait. 

Jesus is praying.

Stay and keep watch. 

Jesus is praying.

Watch and pray against temptations. Jesus is praying. 

When Jesus says, "Rise up!  Let us go!"

Get up and go!  

Jesus is praying!

It is important to be in the Word. Be with Jesus to be transformed.

Shalom y'all!