Thursday: Tempted (4)

"Why are you sleeping?"

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters and welcome to Thursday, Family Day, on this, the Carry The Light Ministries prayer and message line. Yes, the day we pray for families, and believe me when I say we need to be praying for our families. So pray today for the family in the White House, the family in your house, and families all over the world. Families are under attack and not just from Satan, but from our governments across this land. More than ever, I said MORE THAN EVER, families need the Lord.

Tempted (4): Luke 22: 39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives and His disciples followed Him. 40 On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." (NIV)

Luke 22: 46 "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." (NIV)

As you see by the scriptures above, Jesus was concerned that even His disciples would not fall into temptation. Today, with all that is going on in the world, we must be awake, awake to what is going on around us all the time, for it would be so easy to fall into temptation, or temptations, that this world has going on right now. I have heard over the years from many different people on this line who are trying to raise their children in a Christian way and how one of the kids have fallen into the temptations of the world. Some have walked away completely from how they were raised. And folks, yes, I was one like that, I was one who was raised in the name of Jesus and did a walk-about, so to speak. Families are under attack and parents, grandparents, and the kids must be wide awake to what is going on around them. There was a time that we would say there was a gas station on each corner, and now it seems that it is a place to get booze. From bars to fancy places to eat to the place you purchase your food to wine stores. We go to the phone book and see that abortion is the first thing listed in the yellow pages. You have Craig's List and you can find anything and people our being murdered through it. It is different than when Jesus told His disciples to stay awake and pray, for it is worse ... far worse. The only thing the same is our dear Jesus and those words of His ring true today. Wake up and pray so you don't fall into temptation ... WAKE UP AND PRAY ... This does not mean we should not sleep at night, but we surely do need to pray when we wake up each day.

Some day as you travel, maybe even today, I challenge you to take a note pad with you, and each time you are tempted by something, write it down. At the end of the day (I hate that term), anyway, at the end of a day see what you have written down. Break them into things that are ok, and things that are really bad. Yes, write down that ice cream, and all those goodies. But men, write down that low cut dress your eyes went to, and ladies, when you looked at buns that were not on the lunch counter, write it down. You see where I am coming from. Oh and parents, look at what is tempting those kids. Check in their rooms, go tuck them in, look around the room. Be alert and pray, and pray for your children and then put feet on those prayers and make sure of the company they keep, etc. Watch for changing habits. Once again, once again ... In the words of Jesus ... "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Dear Father in Heaven, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord help us, help us to be alert, to be ready, to be praying and not be tempted by evil or things that are not good for us. Protect Your children, dear Lord, protect us from all evil. In the name of Jesus, I pray today for families. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I give honor to You dear Lord. Amen.

Go forth, praying and being alert and while you are at it ... SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS. love ya, dan.