^“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

“And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” Luke 22:40

Think about how you’ve prepared for big tests in your life. You studied, you got help where you needed it, and maybe even took a practice test or two. If the test required a Scantron, you bought one. Number 2 pencils? You sharpened them and made sure you had a fresh eraser. On test day, you may have caffeinated yourself in hopes of increasing alertness and sharpening concentration. There were steps you took to ensure success.

When Jesus knew the time was near for Him to go to the cross, He wanted His disciples to know they were going to face some difficult tests. He wanted them to be prepared for those tests. How did He call them to prepare? Pray.

Like Jesus’ very first disciples, you are going to be tempted. No amount of study, self-help, tutoring, or caffeine-induced alertness can give you success in facing those temptations. This is the message of the gospel. It is not your goodness that saves you, but Jesus Christ. It is true in terms of your salvation, and it is equally true in terms of your daily life. If you are going to be successful in staying faithful when temptations come, it will be because you continually depend on Jesus in prayer. 

• How often would you say you pray in preparation for temptations you don’t even know are coming? Does this Jesus-prescribed practice seem strange to you? List some troubles you know or think you’ll face over the course of your life.

• Pray: Bringing potential problems to Jesus isn’t, as they say, “borrowing trouble.” It is preparing rightly for temptation. Use the list you created and pray for God to give you the strength to endure those things without entering into temptation.