This post is originally from joannekerr
“…Immediately (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…“
In reading this, this morning, I was reminded that prayer time seldom just falls into our lap. Usually, we have to intentionally carve out time for it.
It was tempting, 20 years ago, when I had a 4 year old, a 2 year old, an almost-1 year old (and another “as yet unknown” to follow a couple of years later) to believe that “later” there would be more time for prayer and study of God’s Word.
While there was some truth to that, the realities of “later” are that when it finally arrives, there are a new set of issues to face:
…Now that you “have more free time” you find that you have less energy (and mental capacity!).
…You may feel more pressure (inwardly, or outwardly) to involve yourself with people or activities that you were not able to before because of other responsibilities and priorities.
…And, 20 years ago, who would have dreamt of the amount of time the average person would be using the Internet; Facebook; cell phones; commuting …! There will no doubt be things 20 years from now that we will be saying, “Who would’ve known!”
In reality, no one – at any season of life – has more legitimate demands on his time than Jesus did. He was surrounded by real people with very real needs. Constantly. Yet He regularly pushed “Pause” and physically removed Himself, in order to spend time in prayer.
How much more should I.
Jesus provides the example. He is sympathetic with our weaknesses. With Him, we find mercy & grace to help us to prioritize prayer, no matter what our season or limitations.