Prayer Powered -- January 6, 2010

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

I am struck again by Jesus prayer-life. He prayed all night. I am very impressed by the kind of day He had after a nightlong prayer. First He came part way down the mountain and assigned the twelve to be His staff from among His hundreds of disciples. Then He brought all of His disciples the rest of the way down the mountain to a level place to minister healing to a huge crowd that had gathered. Following the healing time He preached a great (maybe the greatest) instructional sermon to the disciples. Finally He went into the local town and healed a Roman officer’s son. What a productive day of ministry!

In all my scrambling to serve Jesus I forget to connect with the Father. Jesus was often at prayer for long periods of time. He was never disconnected from the Father. When things got stressed He went away to hear from God. Good stress or bad, Jesus stepped out of the pressures of ministry to make sure He was moving with the Father. Jesus was confident in His direction. He did not let Himself move off the course set by His Father by being pressed into the expectations of those He served, nor by allowing His adversaries set His agenda did He get caught up in the struggle against them.

Lord, help me build my prayer-life. Often I am blown off course by the winds of pressure. Father, I long to know Your heart the way Jesus did/does. Let me live in Your presence minute by minute. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

Desiring The Father’s Heart,

Pastor Jason