January 12, 2022

“Yet he often withdrew to deserted placed and prayed” – Luke 5:16

Yesterday I spent the day alone working on the shop I’m building. I was putting in the new electrical outlets (29 of them to be exact). It was very repetitive work, but I found it to be very relaxing. I not only had time to think but time to simply talk to God. I was not down on my knees, I was not pleading for a miracle, and I didn’t have a prayer list in front of me. I just spent some time talking things over with my Heavenly Father. It was incredibly peaceful and encouraging. Though my body left there tired, my soul was refreshed.

Jesus was a pretty well-known guy when he walked on this earth. Many people loved him, many people were intrigued by him, and many people hated him. But no matter where he went, he drew a crowd. If anyone could handle this type of pressure, it was surely the Son of God. But even though he was the Word become flesh, Jesus found it necessary to withdraw from everyone to a lonely place where he could simply pray. Jesus knew that the key to him doing the ministry he had been called to was staying in constant contact with the Father. Now, when we think of Jesus being alone to pray, we often picture the sweat drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. But not all prayer needs to be so intense. We just need to make sure we talk to God on a regular basis. We need to make sure we spend some time alone with him. I encourage you, do whatever you have to in order to set aside time for just you and your Father.

Heavenly Father, give us a deep passion to simply be with You. Give us the wisdom to step away from the chaos of our world and bask in deep conversation with You.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon