NT Fire Starters – Day 117: Luke 22: 39-65
READ: Luke 22:39-65
THINK: Have you ever been hurt or even betrayed by a close friend? How did you feel? Now turn it around. Have you ever abandoned a close friend or betrayed the confidence of someone who trusted you? How did you feel about that? If you really care about a relationship, being the betrayer probably feels worse than being betrayed. But each of us, if left to ourselves, is capable of turning our back on a friend–even if that friend is Jesus. No matter how good your intentions, unless you continue to grow and build spiritual strength, you are at risk of losing your devotion to Christ. So don’t compromise your commitment by getting careless or over-confident. Instead, get it together with God by devoting time to His Word and prayer.
RESPOND: Why did Jesus want His disciples to pray with Him? (See 22:40 note.) How could prayer have helped them? In what ways does Jesus’ instruction about prayer serve as a challenge to you personally? How can prayer help you avoid and overcome temptation and evil? Why do you think Peter followed those who took Jesus away? Why, then, would he not admit that He had been with Jesus? (See 22:62 note.) Despite his good intentions, and even his love for Jesus, why was Peter so weak spiritually at this time? How would you describe Peter’s emotions after denying Jesus so emphatically? What do you think you might have done and how would you have felt if you were in Peter’s situation?
PRAY: Pray that you would never abandon your faith and commitment to Christ during difficult times or because of pressure from others. Pray that God would give you wisdom to avoid tempting situations as much as possible, and for moral strength to overcome temptation when pressured to give in or back down spiritually.
ACT: Take extra time throughout the day to pray, particularly for areas of life in which you’ve struggled with weakness and temptation. (Don’t contribute to the problems by unnecessarily exposing yourself to temptation.) As you encounter difficulties or temptations, pray silently for God’s help to overcome them. Listen for God’s guidance–and follow it.