Jason Patterson serves on the preaching team at People's Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Jason is the best-selling author of "This Jesus Thing" and "Empty"and has launched a video series called "Bedhead Devos" where he goes through each chapter in Mark to bring focus on who Jesus is and what God wants to teach us.  In Bedhead Devo: Mark 14, The Battle, where we read Mark chapter 14 leading up to Jesus' arrest, Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane. Here Jesus left the disciples as he went off to pray to the Father about the suffering he was about to endure. "Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." - Mark 14:37-38 (NLT)

We are all fighting this spiritual battle, the same battle Jesus was facing that day, and he gives us instructions on how to handle the temptations that are coming our way. We are to "Watch and pray." Prayer is our spiritual weapon that we use to prepare ourselves. We need to be equipped with the weapon of prayer because "The spirit is willing but the body is weak." This means that day to day, we may not have the physical strength to do God's will, but the spiritual strength is within us. "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

How often are you using your greatest weapon to fight your greatest battle?

If we are not praying, we are not winning. We will lose the battle we are in without this weapon of prayer. January marks new beginnings, so take up your weapon of prayer against the battle today. Spend some time asking "God prepare me for what is ahead, because God I want to live for you."