Good morning church and happy Saturday.
A while back I grabbed my prayer journal to write down some thoughts. When I opened it I was surprised at the date of the last entry. It had been too long since I had written anything down. I had allowed the busyness of life to crowd out this one aspect of spiritual discipline that I really find valuable. Granted, it is not recorded in Scripture that you have to keep a prayer journal or even write things down. There has been and remains many opportunities to pray each day and throughout the week. However, it has been one of my favorite practices throughout my walk with Christ. It has been good to go back and read entries from various times and stages in my life to see how God was at work in my life. Whether you use a journal or not, I am fairly certain that we all know we should be people of prayer. I am also confident that many people struggle to be consistent or to have a meaningful prayer life. Almost every week at church we share with you something that we all need to be praying about. Each Thursday, we send out an email with the prayer needs of the church. There are people in our church body that are having a difficult time whether it be with health issues, or a myriad of other things. We all know of someone that is in need, hurting, having health issues, struggling in their faith, or some other challenge. Let’s commit to praying for them. Let’s truly become a church that is characterized by our prayer for one another.
Throughout the Gospels, we see our Lord Jesus modeling a life of prayer. It was during a time of prayer that His disciples asked Him to teach them how to prayer. That is when He taught them what has become known as the “Our Father” or the “Lord’s Prayer.” It is there that Jesus gives them an example of the kind of things to include in prayer. In John 17, there is a lengthy prayer of Jesus that is recorded. In it, Jesus prays for Himself, those closest to Him, and then for all that would come to believe. Many of the other times the Bible only records a few words or it simply makes reference that Jesus was praying. It is quite obvious that prayer is an expected part of life for those that follow God. Here are a few reminders from the life of Jesus:
In Luke 3, the Bible records the baptism of Jesus. In verse 21, it includes the details that, “And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.” This was the beginning of His earthly ministry here on earth and it is characterized by obedience and prayer. In Luke 5:16, we learn that, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” He found it important to spend time alone with God the Father. If that was true for Jesus, how much more do you and I need to spend time in prayer? In Mark 1:35, we read that, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” All of us morning people say “Amen.” In fact, I have heard that verse used as a proof text that you are to have your quiet time in the morning. In Luke 6:12, we read, “Jesus went out to the mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” So there is a proof text that the night owls can use in their defense. Actually, the point is that Jesus was intentional about spending time alone in prayer. Whether it was morning or night, or anywhere in between, there are examples of Jesus praying. In Luke 9:18, we read about a time when, “Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him.” We also read about on the Mount of Transfiguration where He selected some of His disciples to go with Him to pray. That is also seen in the Garden of Gethsemane as well. Jesus prayed alone, He prayed with a small group of His disciples, with all of His disciples, in public settings, in the crowds when He taught, etc. Not only did He pray, He directed those that follow Him to be in prayer as well.
So, let me encourage you this morning (or whenever you get out of bed) to be in prayer. Take some time today to pray for each other, for the church, and for whatever else the Lord lays upon your heart. May God bless you and guide you in all things. Hope to see you tomorrow.
I am praying for you,
Larry
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