Luke 22:15 And he (Jesus) said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said… Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

As I read through the Gospels, I am reminded again of the intense spiritual battle that rages as we walk our Christian lives. I am reminded of the Lord’s “desire” for us to walk in fellowship and communion with Him, and well as His “desire” for us to live according to His will and His good pleasure. And yet, in the same chapter here, we see that Satan has a “desire” for us too. His desire is to sift (separate, shake, toss, scatter) us as wheat.  And yet daily, these forces are in a battle for our souls. I am reminded this morning of the importance of remaining close to Christ, and feeding the soul and spirit through His word and in fellowship with Him. I am also reminded of the importance of praying for myself, as well as others, as Christ did when He acknowledged this reality to Peter.