Mark 6:46 – And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
Luke 5:15-16 – But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Mark 15:34 – And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Most of Jesus’ prayer life is recorded to model for us methods of how to talk to the Father. Let’s look at a few examples.
Jesus prayed alone
This is very, very important to the Christian life. Jesus prayed publicly in large and small groups, but he also prayed privately.
Mark 6:46 tells us, “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” Luke 9:18 informs us that “… he was praying alone…”
Sometimes being in the public for extended periods of time actually prompted Jesus to get away for a time, as in Luke 5:15-16: “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Thousands are coming out to hear Jesus preach and teach, miracles are happening, healings are taking place. His ministry is powerful and therefore demanding. And he needed to get away for a bit to recharge and refresh.
He needed that. And you need that.
I think sometimes we forget what it’s like to be alone with God because even when we are by ourselves, the noise of technology is drowning out our senses. The computer’s on, the TV’s on, the phone’s on. We don’t even know what silence sounds like anymore.
For me, I like to pray while I’m moving as I find my mind is clearer. So, I will go for a hike or take a drive in my Jeep with the top off and just talk to God aloud. Or, you can redeem your commute to or from work by turning off your technology and talking to God.
Most of us need to withdraw more frequently than we do to have a private meeting with God in prayer. I know that I have never taken this time and regretted it afterward.
Reflection:
- Do you pray alone? What does that look like for you?
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