It was the last night of Jesus with his disciples. They were in Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

It was time to pray before his arrest. Jesus was saddened and anguished to the point of death. He instructed them to keep watch and pray and then went ahead to be alone with God.

When he returned, he found them sleeping due to sorrow. There are two ways to face affliction and suffering. The most common is avoidance: sleeping, giving in to grief, indefinitely postponing the problem.

The most effective alternative was given by the Lord: “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus was giving them his last lesson: to face problems in prayer, humbled under the mighty hand of God, casting all anxiety on Him, because He cares for us.

It is not just about praying, but also about keeping watch, staying awake, and being alert to possible external attacks that will appeal to our weaknesses. Submitted to the Lord, acknowledging that God’s power is perfected in our weakness.