TIME to PRAY

 October 23, 2024

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

 Luke 6:12

In yesterday's devotion, we observed that the Gospels reveal prayer as central to Jesus' ministry. He not only practiced prayer to connect with God but also taught his disciples how to pray. Jesus' prayer life serves as a model for our own. For the rest of the week, let's concentrate on the key elements of Jesus' prayer life.

Jesus often retreated from his disciples, family, and the crowds to spend time alone. He valued these moments as essential for communion with the Father.

Setting aside time for prayer can be a grounding practice, allowing us to concentrate on our conversations with God in life's busyness. Isn't it true that so often we get caught up in our daily grind that the thought of praying slips our mind. Many people testify that to ensure more consistent communion with God, it is helpful to schedule prayer time during parts of the day when we are less likely to be interrupted. 

We read in the New Testament that Jesus often engaged in extended periods of prayer. Our verse for today tell us this, Jesus "went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God."

Now it is important to note, that this practice wasn't Jesus daily routine as far as we can understand. What it does mean that there may be times, situations where we need longer periods for prayer, however our own prayer times could be as brief as five minutes at night before bed or during the first 15 minutes of our morning. Our prayer life could be modeled on Brother Lawrence's "Practice of the Presence of God" of a daily prayer life that allows room for distractions.

Regardless of the duration, beginning with small steps is the key, the time we spend in prayer, will result in a closeness to our creator, we will grow in our knowledge of God, ourselves, and God's presence in the moments of our everyday.

That is a worthwhile outcome don't you think?