Mat 26:31-32 (NIV) Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Jesus, when You diagnose me and point out a flaw, help me not contradict You. If I want to change the diagnosis, help me ASK You what I need to do to change it. Show me that when You said, for it is written: that was something that was sure to happen. Make it clear to me that the Bible is the final word on those things it says. But, help me see that I can appeal it to You so as to see if my relationship to it is changeable; but, help me see that only You can amend my relationship to Your Word.

Mat 26:33 (NIV) Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” Jesus, set me free from trying to use human determination, commitment, positive confession, or self-confidence; help me understand that they will not produce faith-action. Show me that if Peter has ASKED You to help him not fall away, there MAY have been something You would have been willing to do to help Peter. Show me that if Peter had ASKED for Your help, You probably would have helped him not deny You those three times. He would have probably ran off like the other disciples; but, You could have empowered him to take faith-action and not denied his Lord.

Mat 26:34 (NIV) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.” Jesus, if the Bible warns me, if You cause a warning thought to pop up in my mind, if the Holy Spirit causes me to feel a warning in my conscience, or if a friend warns me, let me ASK You to empower me to do the right thing. Help me to always let You check my DESIRE to see if I really want Your help. Help me to always ASK You to bring Scriptures I have STUDIED to my mind to help me know what to do. Help me to always ASK You to help me PRAY for the right things regarding the issue. Help me to always ASK You to speak faith into me so I will be able to BELIEVE I have the power to do the right thing. Help me to always ASK You to help me LOVE others enough to be willing to do the right thing. And then, help me to always ASK You to allow me to join You, be empowered by You, and You flow through me with FAITH-ACTION of DOING the right thing.

Mat 26:35 (NIV) But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.” And all the other disciples said the same. Jesus, like Peter, I have been able to do a lot of things I have determined to do. Like him I obviously “believed in myself.” When I am feeling confident about something, help me always ASK You to test it and make sure it is rooted in Your faith that You spoke into me. Before I take ACTION, help me make sure it is FAITH-ACTION. Teach me that the end results of action without Your faith is drastically different from faith-action. Peter found this out the hard way. Help me not keep finding this out the hard way.

Jesus, help me see from this passage the results of action without Your faith : Mark 14:66-70a (NIV) While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it.

Mark 14:70b-72 (NIV) After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Mat 26:40-41 (NIV) Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. Jesus, teach me that there can be a lot of things that interfer with me applying The Three Keys To All Of Christianity and The Six Biblical Principles. I can feel like I am too tired, too busy, too frustrated, too doubtful that it will do any good, and a lot of other reasons. But, help me see that when it comes time for me to take FAITH-ACTION, I won’t be ready. Help me get all You do for me as I apply these two tool sets. Help me understand that life will offer me a lot of challenges; and, before I know it, I will have done something that I should not have done; or, I will have failed to do something I should have done.

Jesus, empower me to watch and pray so that I will not fall into temptation. My spirit is willing, but my body is weak (Mat 26:41).” You have taken me through a lot of training on ASKING and PRAYING; but, not much has been said about WATCHING. Help me always be on the watch, and pray that I may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that I may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). The words, about being on the watch help me understand a little bit better what watch means; I see that it is like being on guard. Luke 21:8 (NIV) He replied: “WATCH OUT that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When someone says, “Watch out!” I start looking around for the danger they are warning me about. Where, prior to that, I may have been relaxed and calm, suddenly I become alert and attentative.

Luke 17:3 (NIV) So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Jesus, now I can see that I am not to just watch out for external dangers, I am to watch or examine myself to see if there is a problem. Help me watch for where the dangers are around me and in my life. Help me be aware of those dangers. Help me care that I might be in danger. But, help this concept NOT cause a lot of fear and apprehension in me. Help me take each thing that You show me that is a potential danger and address it; help me use my two tool sets to take care of them all. Teach me that the big issue with WATCH is, I need to ASK You to help me always be aware of any potential danger. Then help me to always ASK You to empower me to cast all my anxiety on You because You care for me (1 Pet 5:7). Then help me to always ASK You to empower me to apply my two tool sets to those dangers so as to defeat them.