Daily Devotional
By Pastor Jerry Teboe
A Closer Walk with Christ in 2026
A Walk with the Master Series
Sleeping Not Praying
Mark 14:32-42
And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. Mar 14:33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; Mar 14:34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. Mar 14:35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. Mar 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. Mar 14:37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mar 14:39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. Mar 14:40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. Mar 14:41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Mar 14:42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
The Passover meal was finished. Judas had gone to betray the Lord, and the rest of the disciples were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was the night before the crucifixion, and our Lord sought time with the Father before facing the most horrible day of all history.
His simple request for the disciples, and especially Peter, James, and John, was that they would watch and pray. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
Jesus went a little further, and there He prayed one of His most profound prayers. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. Jesus was hours away from His sacrifice for the sin of all mankind. He knew that He would have to become sin for us, and He would have to face a period when His fellowship with the Father would be broken. He did not pray to avoid the cross, for that was His reason for coming to the earth and becoming a man. His agony was the separation from His Father. That was the reason He prayed, And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
After His first prayer, He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. The disciples also were going to face the terrible time of their separation from the Lord, and they needed the Lord’s strength to sustain them; but they were asleep.
Jesus returned to His place of prayer and twice more prayed the same prayer as before. Each time He returned, He found the disciples sleeping.
How often are we guilty of sleeping when we should be praying? Many times we try to pray, and our eyes grow heavy; and before we know it, we are sleeping. We should ask the Lord to help us to be alert and then follow the command to pray without ceasing.
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Bible Reading for the Year
May 26th, 1 Chronicles 23-25; John 11:1-17
Prayer Needs
Please continue praying for Jennifer Teboe Buchamer. She was released from the hospital on Monday with a change in her meds. She is better but still has some pain. Please continue to pray for complete healing.
Thank you for praying for Dr. Joe Jordan. He has been transferred to a rehab facility. This will be an intense time of recovery, and he covets your prayers for strength and stamina throughout the process.
Please pray for Shirley Deans. Shirley saw the ear, throat, and nose doctor about her throat cancer. She had a PET scan on Friday, May 15th over her entire body. On the 27th she will see the cancer doctor about the PET scan, and on the 28th she will have surgery to biopsy a lymph node in her neck.
Please also pray for Kenny Deans. He is continuing treatment for his leg. He will also be seeing a doctor about possible kidney stones.
Please continue to pray for Jimmy and Donna Dixon. Jimmy’s father passed away last Thursday afternoon. The funeral was held Tuesday the 19th in Roanoke Rapids.
Please pray for Peggy Warren. She is still in a lot of pain.
Please continue to pray for Robbie Harvey who has MAC lung disease. He fell and broke several ribs, but he is feeling better now. He has started a new medication for his lung disease.
Please continue to pray for Marvin Silverthorne for his eyesight to improve.
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Pray for our Missionaries!
Sue Singleton and the mission in Cambodia
Dr. Joe Jordan and the CBM (Cross and Bible Ministries)
Travis and Caroline Fennessy – IBM missionaries to Southeast Asia