Daily Devotional for February 23, 2010

February 23 ~ Luke 22:39-40
Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. When they got there, he told them, "Pray that you won't be tested."

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Have you ever been in a situation where you have been warned to protect yourself in some way – “Be sure you wear your seatbelt,” or “Don’t do that without a helmet,” or even, “If you go in there, take a flashlight!”

In this passage, Jesus knows what is about to happen. He knows that He is going to be tortured, mocked, and crucified, and He knows that the Roman soldiers may try to trick and torture His disciples, too. So He tells them to “Pray that you won’t be tested.” In other words, He wants them to “put on the full armor of God.” He wants them to protect themselves fully by covering the hours/days ahead in prayer… asking God to watch over them and keep them from harm.

How often do you “pray that you won’t be tested?” When you get up in the morning, do you ask God to guide your day? When you go to bed at night, do you ask God to protect you as you sleep and give you a good night’s rest? Do you ask Him to help you with the answers on your test the next day? Do you ask Him to protect you as you drive to and from work or school? Are you praying so that you won’t be tempted, tested, or tormented? Are you fully protected each day against Satan and his attempts to harm you? Shouldn’t you be?

©2009 Debbie Robus