photo by Derek Thompson on Unsplash

Startled awake, Peter rubs his eyes and brushes the dust off his cloak as Jesus asks again, “Peter, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?” Struggling to overcome exhaustion from grief, Peter finally notices the tear-stained face of his Lord.

The words, “Are you asleep?” ironically woke me up. It was as if Jesus was speaking directly to me in Mark 14. The words that immediately followed convicted me. “Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

How often am I tempted by distraction during my time of prayer? How often do I check my messages, email, or my “to-do list” while my Lord’s call to “watch and pray” is ignored? My body might be awake, but my mind and spirit are asleep. And Jesus says, “Cindy, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?”

I don’t have a Twitter account; I gave up Facebook long ago, and refuse temptations such as Tic-Tok and other social media apps, but distractions can still tempt me. Addiction to technology is real.

“Falling asleep” to what is in front of us, including our relationship with God, is a daily temptation for many people. There is hope, however. We can erase technology. We can be more present in order to “watch and pray.”

Today, I want to invite you to join me to “watch and pray” by reducing the time you spend on your phone, computer, and other technology devices. If you are reaching for the oxygen mask right now, trust that I’m not asking you to give it up completely. Just between now and Easter Sunday, try putting your phone away or at least not checking your phone as often. Let’s stay awake and pay attention to God. Let’s watch—and pray.

For More Resources See Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction by Ed Cyzewski / Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. You might also be interested in watching this video by Joshua Becker.