A Word from Pastor Stephen – June 5, 2020

“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.” (Mark 1:35 ESV)

It is quite obvious if you just scan through the four gospels that Jesus took time to pray. Here Jesus gets up before everyone else and goes off to a solitary place to pray. Why does the Son of God need to pray anyway? One would assume that Jesus has all he needs, but it is obvious that Jesus needs prayer to connect with his Father and to be filled with the strength to accomplish his mission.

I’m sure our world is a much nosier place, literally, than it was in the time of Jesus. We deal with traffic noise, blaring televisions, music blasting through headphones and constant phone interruptions. We live in a noisy world, so it is vitally important we also find a time to go off to a solitary place to pray. A solitary place could be different for each of us. However, it is very difficult in our world to find true solitude. Technology keeps us tethered to the noisy world in so many ways. It is almost impossible for most of us to put our Smartphone out of reach for even five minutes without a twinge of panic.

We must always look to Jesus and model his way of living in the world. If a prayer life was vital for Jesus, than a prayer life must be vital for us as well. The great reformer Martin Luther said, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Find a time and place to pray each day. Be sure to practice digital solitude as well. The world will still be there when you get back, but you will be filled up with the Spirit of God to face that world. Amen.