"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" - Luke 5:16 (NIV).
Basketball has an interesting aspect called time out! If a coach notices that his team is losing then he can call for time out. This normally allows the team to regroup and get back to work more focused, past errors put aside. In soccer it comes as half time, a moment for the coach to size up the game and if he is loosing re strategize. Teams have been known to be loosing only to rediscover their mojo through half time, and turn the game around.
The idea of time out is actually not new and has been a long favoured practice of many productive people. If you look at the life of Jesus he led an intesily busy and packed life. He was always on the move and sarrounded by people eager to be fed. When he was told his friend Lazarus had died, he delayed hastening back as he was caught up with work (John 11:6).
When your life is about giving and doing you certainly need time out. This is important to allow your batteries to re charge. For Jesus the best time for this happened to be in the very early morning hours. "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). This is when he could find space.
But why was this necessary! Well, time out could help him process what had just happened. When he heard the prophet John had just been murdered by Herod, "he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place" (Mathew 14:13). This, allowed him to grieve!
Just like the great teams or better still, like Lord Jesus, you too need "time out"! This is a special moment when you could all be by yourself allowing you to recollect, process, reenergize, and forge ahead. It is not about being too busy; it is actually the very reason you need it. For Jesus it was a moment to talk and hear from God, spend time in prayer- as should be your case. You would profit immeasurably!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I take time out to be with you alone, to hear from you and plan ahead how to serve and be pleasing to you, this I pray in Jesus's name.
Related upcoming events
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28/04/2024 - 29/04/2024 All day"The Lord is my shepherd!" (Psalm 23:1)
Psalm 23 of David is perhaps one of the best prayers ever written, with nuggets and inspirations, of benefit to us since and
ever before. “The LORD is my shepherd, “David begins.” I lack nothing” (vv 1). What is it that you lack? In his life David had started out as a shepherd, and he knew very well, that a shepherd’s job is to watch over his sheep, feed and water them, and since the Lord is our shepherd, we his sheep shall lack nothing.Verse 2 -3 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” This exactly what a good shepherd does; he takes his sheep to the best fodder, ensuring that his sheep are well fed and rested. When the sheep are restless the good shepherd is troubled. Our God desires and is pleased when we are at peace.
Sometimes we may all find ourselves going through a storm. In Verse 4- 5, David says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The Christian life is not without difficulties, but here David points us to God as our comforter and deliverer. We always have the staff of prayer to lean on.
In Verse 5, he writes, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” In his tumultuous life, David had to battle with many enemies, ranging from King Saul, to foreigners and members of his own family. He knew a lot about betrayal. And, we too, may face enemies no less, from those that oppose us in our workplace for their ambition’s sake, to those who are not pleased because of the Gospel we preach. Yet here, just as David, we are assured that victory is on our side- this is why our cup overflows.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (vv 6). The one who walks with God has a fresh smile ever, for God is with him. The blessings of God are with him wherever he goes.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham,
maker of heaven and earth, as David prayed in Psalm 23, may I not be troubled, for you are my shepherd ever watching over me and your goodness goes ahead of me!
