Wake Up

I like to think of myself as one of Jesus’ disciples. Not a doubting Thomas or a betraying Judas—more like John, “the one Jesus loved,” or maybe his fiery brother, James. I picture myself as a “Son of Thunder.” But of all the disciples, I identify with Peter the most—impulsive, impetuous, fire-ready-aim, foot-in-mouth Peter. Thank God he was transformed into the rock of the early church. There’s hope for me too.

There’s one moment in Peter’s story I’ve never wanted to imitate: when he, James, and John fell asleep after Jesus asked them to keep watch and pray. That’s when Jesus said, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

I used to think Jesus was rebuking them for being uncaring, lazy, selfish, uncommitted or weak. But recently, I re-read Luke 22:45, and the phrase at the end hit me:

“When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.”

In Gethsemane, Jesus was under intense pressure, sweating drops of blood in prayer. His disciples weren’t scheming or fleeing yet—they were simply wiped out. Asleep not from apathy, but from grief.

Sorrow can do that. It can wear you down so much that you shut down—depleted. For the disciples, the weight of personal grief, unending conflict from the Jews and Romans, confusion, and yo-yo victories and defeats pressed them into slumber.

In the last few years, we've faced similar sorrows: COVID, cultural upheaval, political tension, financial stress, and personal losses. The weight of sadness, uncertainty, grief, sickness, or deep disappointment may not prompt us to lash out or run—it just wears us down.

We may not fall asleep physically, but we can doze off in our spiritual life, our relationships, and our emotions. Passion turns into passivity. Our sense of purpose, destiny, and calling drifts into a state of slumber.

That’s why Jesus’ words matter now more than ever:

“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

1 Peter 5:8 echoes that warning:

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up... Keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever.”

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Here are some ways the Word tells us to fight through exhaustion and stay spiritually alert:

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• Pray for strength. Though the enemy attacks relentlessly, Jesus “He always lives to intercede and intervene” on our behalf.  

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will be strong and that you will not give up. When you return, you must help to make your brothers strong.” Luke 22:31-32 NIV, NLV

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• Wait on the Lord. Waiting is not passive; it's a calm reassurance and holy expectancy that God will deliver us from all our distress, He will lift us up in due time, He will lead us to victory.

“He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary… But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31

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•  Resist the enemy. When sorrow and disappointment persist, we must:

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

When we are tempted to quit and the enemy reminds us of our situation, remind him of his defeat. He is under our feet. We have authority over all his power. 

“I have given you authority... over all the power of the enemy.” (Luke 10:19)

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• Keep Watch. Spiritual vision gets clouded by sorrow and blocks our spiritual sight. When facing insurmountable odds and looming defeat, men looked to God and saw his deliverance. 
  

“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

“I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.” (Psalm 121:1-2 The Message)

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• Worship.Even in chains, Paul and Silas sang. They were beaten to within an inch of their lives - their feet chained to large blocks of wood, and thrown into the darkest, dankest prison. Exhaustion from sorrow set in.

  
  

  "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” ACTS 16:25 

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Let’s pray. Let’s worship. Let’s give thanks. Let’s encourage each other to stay alert and resist the enemy. Our families, our businesses, our ministries—and those watching us—depend on it.