Making time to pray helps us grow in our relationship with the Lord. It allows us to see things from His perspective. After a long day of ministering to people, Jesus prayed the next morning. Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.[1]
Although Jesus was busy ministering to people, He also knew spending time with His Father was necessary. In our busy world, it is easy to fall into the trap of neglecting time with the Lord. Everyone is in a spiritual battle, and the enemy does not want us to spend time with the Lord in prayer or His Word. Jesus knew His real strength came from His relationship with the Father. As the Father filled Jesus up, this would overflow upon the people.
Prayer Precedes Ministry
While Jesus was praying, Simon Peter and others were looking for Jesus. Mark 1:37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” 39 So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons. [2]
Praying to His Father was the foundation of Jesus’ ministry and gives insight into how important it should be in our lives. As we pray, the Lord provides guidance, encouragement, and peace, enabling us to face life’s challenges from His perspective. In addition, prayer allows us to intercede for others as the Lord works in people’s hearts beyond anything we can do. If we attempt to minister to others while neglecting time to pray, we usually find our grace, strength, and insight significantly reduced. Like Jesus, we must break away and find time to pray.
Prayer Shows Us the Way
To follow God’s plan, we must spend time with Him, where He guides us daily. So many times, we begin our day without spending time with the Lord and soon find ourselves heading in the wrong direction. The Lord loves to spend time with us and eagerly awaits our conversations no matter the time of day.
Even when we have committed sins, the Lord eagerly awaits our confessions so He can forgive us and help us to begin again. David prayed about his sins. Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.[3]
Where are you heading today in your life? Is the Lord knocking on the door of your heart to spend more time with Him in prayer? Only the Lord knows what He would like to say to you. He may want to encourage you and tell you how much He loves you. Take time today to be refreshed by the Lord through prayer and begin to see the changes in your life.
To learn more about making time to pray, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/power-over-the-demonic
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.