January 13th - Mark 1:35

Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Although Jesus’ ministry had only recently begun, he was already very busy. His authoritative preaching and miraculous healings were attracting great interest and he had little time to himself, but he knew that his authority came from God his Father, so he needed to keep in close contact with him. He had to work hard to find a special time and place to pray. He knew that his ministry relied upon it. As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus, we need to work just as hard to find our special times and places to pray. One thing is certain: personal prayer won’t happen without discipline and determination. We will always be able to fill our time with other activities. The key thing is for us to become convinced that prayer is our priority and that other activities, however worthy and enjoyable, are of lesser importance. That’s often hard to accept because we tend to judge ourselves, and others tend to measure us, by our activities. For the person who doesn’t understand how God works, prayer could easily look like a complete waste of time. The place where we pray is often very important. You may have a special place in your home where you can sit and pray. In a busy household, this might be hard to achieve. I once heard someone claim that the only quiet place they could ever find in their home was their loo! Maybe you have a park where you can walk. Wherever your special place is, you need to cherish the opportunity to meet with God in quietness. William Wilberforce, famous for his involvement in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, once wrote: “Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.” Whoever we are, and whatever our life looks like, we all need to listen to those words and make prayer a priority, just like Jesus did. Question What is your special time and place of prayer? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the privilege of being able to pray to you. Help me to always make it a priority. Amen