I read Mark 1:35-38 this morning because as I get up each morning before the sun rises to have private time with the Father before my busy day begins, I do my very best to apply Jesus teachings to my life. 35. 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. 36. Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37. and when they found him, they exclaimed: Everyone is looking for you! 38. Jesus replied, Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. Jesus said that when we pray, that ot should be in private. We are to go into our room and shut the door to get on our knees in humility before our God. When we pray in private, God said that He will bless us publicly. We are to pray in private and not tell it from the street corners or roof tops. It is a personal relationship with God as is our relationship with our spouse and family. It is important for all believers to understand how important prayer was to Jesus’ ministry and our life as well. The Gospels share numerous accounts in which Jesus would wake up early and find a quiet place to pray before He encountered the throngs of people throughout His busy day. No matter what His schedule is like, Jesus never sees His prayer life as separate from His ministry—He sees it as the crux of His ministry. And so, all through the night and early in the mornings, He prays. While His disciples sleep, He prays. Despite sharing a oneness with the Father to which nothing else in all of creation could compare, He prays. Let it be known and let it be modeled: Jesus prays... Another thing I considered is that Jesus didnt pray for peoples sicknesses but simply healed them. Jesus’ ministry is characterized by incredible events of healing. Word of His miraculous healing powers spreads quickly, and people come from far and wide to see Him. Whether it is the casting out of demons (spiritual healing) or the cleansing of a leper (physical healing), there is no evil spirit or deadly disease that is too great for Him. But why does Jesus’ earthly ministry include healing? Would His teachings not have sufficed? His healing power proves His divine origin and serves as a physical reminder that the kingdom of God is at hand. It is a foreshadowing of the coming heaven and earth which will be entirely free from all the terrible effects of sin’s curse. Prayer is communication with God. Prayer is a most important part of your relationship with Him. Our first thought upon waking up is to go to the Lord in prayer. Your salvation is also not only a personal event but part of a bigger purpose. God came not only to redeem His children but all of creation. Meditate on this amazing truth. ^_^ Lord Jesus, when You came to this earth, You demonstrated what it means for the kingdom of God to be at hand. Help me to understand what it means to pray “thy kingdom come,” and please use me to bring about Your kingdom purposes. In Your name. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:32:00 +0000