Encouragement for Today

July 6, 2023 Slip Away and Pray ANITHA ABRAHAM Lee en español

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)

After months of planning, my sister, Binu, and I finally had a chance to grab dinner with a particular group of friends. The Thai food was delicious — plus, the conversation was fun and meaningful.

Before we could even start thinking about what sugary item we should end our evening with, Binu spoke up: “Hey, ladies, when we’re done, maybe we could all get in my van and pray!”

If you knew Binu, you wouldn't find this shocking. First of all, she loves her van. We have taken many a road trip in it. Secondly, she loves to pray. Her sons have often come home from school to find her praying in their room. She still does this even though they are in college and living away from home during the semester.

When I call her to “vent” about troubles in my life, she listens, advises and says, “Why don’t we pray?” Then she goes straight to God’s throne room with me on the phone. For big and small things, I will often get a text from her asking for prayer. She believes in the power of prayer and lives it out.

So after dinner that night, instead of going somewhere for dessert, we all hopped in Binu’s van to pray. I’ll admit … I was ready to go home and get in my pajamas, but I knew Binu had chosen the better thing — time with the Lord.

We took turns sharing our needs along with the needs of people around us. One by one, we prayed over those requests. The atmosphere was ripe with God's power. The Holy Spirit was truly moving among us in that van.

Praying seems easy, but honestly, it can be hard for me. When I see how intentional Binu is about prayer, I am inspired. But even more so, did you know Jesus was intentional about prayer?

“… Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16, emphasis added).

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23a, NIV).

“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, NIV).

Jesus … the second Person of the Trinity, the one and only Son of God … made time to pray.

I am thankful for the Apostle Paul’s charge later in Scripture to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). This invites us into an all-day conversation with God, no matter what we are doing. But the examples of Jesus' prayers in the Gospels are very telling as well. While I have no doubt He was in constant dialogue with His Father, the fact that Jesus still slipped away to pray, often in solitude, sets an example for us.

If Jesus prayed in this manner, shouldn’t I? I don’t want to miss out on time with God by not slipping away. I want what was said of my sister and my Savior to be said of me — that I often withdraw to pray.

Dear God, my days often slip away without me spending time with You alone in prayer. I am so thankful that I can come boldly before Your throne at any time and that You hear me when I call. Help me to be more intentional to spend time with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]” (AMP).

What are some ways you can prioritize prayer in your daily life? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

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