January 9th, 2022 – Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
Experiencing God Devotional
Mark 1:35 -Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer. When Judas betrayed Jesus, he led his cohorts to Jesus’ place of prayer.
Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, He prayed (Matt. 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father’s mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?
Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father’s voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life. His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were (Mark 1:37). The crowds wanted to crown Him king (John 6:15). Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following (Matt. 4:3, 6, 9). Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42–43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28–31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41–42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.
Blackaby, Richard. Experiencing God Day By Day (p. 10). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Pastor’s Thoughts
“Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.”
When prayer is done correctly it guides everything. Prayer should become as natural as breathing for us.
The reason so many Christians sound like they are choking spiritually is because they have not learned how to breath consistently. Prayer is one of the best gifts that God has given us as His children.
How is your prayer life? How is your decision making? Your decision making is entirely dependent on how you pray and the consistency that you pray with.
Have a blessed Sunday everyone! Remember to go to your church with the mindset of worshipping God not being entertained by Him and others.
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