Watch… and Pray

Posted on by Jennifer Arimborgo

Praying boy

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38, ESV).

Watch and pray. In that order. What is it, exactly, that we need to be watching, as we pray? The Lord. Watch Him for His lead in prayer. Jesus explained the glorious principle that He intended to guide our everyday existence: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19, NIV).

Jesus, modeling for us what life in a human body is meant to look like, could do nothing on His own. He only did what He saw His Daddy doing. How did He see what His Daddy was doing? Watching. This is also how Jesus prayed all night. He tuned into His oneness with His Daddy. In doing so, He watched His Daddy. Through the Holy Spirit, Daddy God led Him all the way. Including in every single word of prayer.

You don’t have to come up with the words to pray. He will put them inside you. He will lead you the entire way. Tune into Him. Lean into your oneness with Him. Watch. And pray.

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When you pray, do you lean in to find out how Daddy God wants to lead your prayer? If so, what is that like for you?

26 thoughts on “Watch… and Pray”

  1. When I am faithful to reflect and meditate upon the Word, to receive the wonderous communication that took place with the Father and so many saints in times past, I too am able to be directed by the Spirit that leads me in prayer. His words become mine and I can speak and pray in a manner reflecting Jesus talking to the Father. Len W.

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  3. In those moments when I don’t know how to begin a prayer, I consistently hear Him saying, “Stop, son. Just stop. Close your eyes and exhale. Don’t say a word. Just breathe, and relax within me.” And after a time, the words come easily.
    Silence is so critically vital for our prayer lives. Any Christian believer of any faith tradition would do well to read Cardinal Robert Sarah’s book “The Power of Silence.” Terribly important, meaningful book.

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  6. Hi Jennifer,

    This also makes me think of John 15:5 TLB- Yes I am the Vine and you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing.

    AKJV-Authorized King James Version says:
    5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing

    Commentary: I remember when I first read this scripture, my first impression was Jesus was being a bit arrogant. Without sufficient experience and knowledge, I couldn’t see beyond that, so confused and not sure what Jesus really meant.. I left it there.

    With time, life experience, and most importantly by means of the light of Christ which shines down into our lives helping us see , if we see then we can understand, describe, learn, but if its all dark what can we possibly say about the object up ahead? we cant even see it, so we can’t say anything nor understand it, since we are blind to its existence. So it is the way the light of Christ works..

    As believers grow in understanding, we begin to be able to connect the dots and make sense of it all, that’s called revelation by the light of Christ. To have insight. When we first start walking we think of Jesus, Almighty God, as something external and existing on the outside of us…when praying we tend to look upward to heaven and visualize God up in Heaven sitting upon a throne. All in all, away from us. Distant.

    Later, we learn what the significance and meaning of why Jesus said “apart from me you can do nothing”. Years we spent looking for Christ and Almighty God on the outside of us, as we hoped to find God by attending church, participating in a missionary trip, joining the Choir, doing good deeds, giving to the poor, when in actuality … to find Christ we need to look within ourselves to find him. That’s the essence of this scripture. God created us in His image, meaning His instilled part of His Spirit in man, and because of this, it is His spirit that resides in man. Therefore, apart from Him we can do nothing. For it is His Spirit that is our Life Energy. Take that away, and well we become a lifeless body, a shell, and we can do nothing.

    Once we realize God is within us, then we begin to really make some progress. We don’t need to go over here or over there, we can stand right where we are at the moment and talk with God. We don’t need a pastor to call God for us. We don’t need to be baptized. We don’t need to follow an outline. I am not saying we don’t need these things in our lives, because we definitely do… but not to discover God, to hear him speak, to begin to develop a stronger relationship with him.

    Thanks Ms.Arimborgo

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    1. Wonderful, wonderful insights, Ben! Thank you so much for sharing them. I had just recently been thinking about the revelation light of Christ too, and how He causes it to shine in our hearts that we might see and know Him. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your heart so fully here. The richest of blessings to you! (And feel free to just call me Jenn if you like 🙂 )

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      1. Jenn,

        Thank you for speaking freely from the heart. And thank you Jenn for:

        #1 Creating the site that you have, feedingonjesuscom, Your blog site.
        #2 For all the hours, energy, dedication, and determination you have invested in helping others.
        #3 I want you to know that when I arrive at your site, before I even begin to read an article, there is an immediate sense of uplifting and kindness, and it resonates within my spirit and it makes me smile. What a wonderful impact. God bless.

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      2. Wow, Ben, you just uplifted ME in such a wonderful way! Seriously, the thought you put into this comment is really impactful. I am touched and truly grateful. Thank you!!

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  8. I have personally found that with Word in hand and notebook and pen focussing on a patch of blue in the sky overhead had brought the most profound, restorative and wonderful prayer times in my life in recent times. Focussing Above, Resting and with surrender and letting the Spirit lead I have found my prayers have journeyed to places and circumstances that I could not have known but He did. Sometimes I had an open map of the world and this was revelatory. He cares about EVERYONE and even people I do not know and will never know became a prayer focus. Blessings and peace to you Jennifer. I love and appreciate your blog and love your picture.

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    1. Once again, you made my heart smile. How I enjoy hearing from you, Faye! My spirit rejoices to read about the amazing adventures in prayer and communion that He takes you on. Precious beyond words!!

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  10. Wow! I never looked at it that way. Thank you Jesus for using my sister to reveal this from your Word 🙂 Amen. Well I’m learning to depend on the Holy Spirit of God to guide my prayer. I know the difference when I watch at Him and when I don’t. When I do the prayer is more bold, powerful and prophetic but when I don’t it’s dry, fleshy, repetitive. Blessings & grace.

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