Lessons from the Prayer life of Jesus : Priority and Instruction
Mark 1:35 NKJV
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Prayer had a place of priority in the life of Jesus. Right before this verse we see him healing many who came to him right after he had healed Peter’s mother in law. The whole evening he had a healing service and many were ministered to.
In the morning a long while before day light, Jesus rose up to pray all alone, away from the disciples and away from the crowds.
The disciples come looking for him because the people had come back looking for him. Remember the night before he had healed many and ministered to them and I bet they were back for more. The response that Jesus gives is very unexpected.
Mark 1:38 NKJV
But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”
You would have expected that because of the success he had had the evening before, Jesus would have stayed on and continued to minister to the people but he did not. Why? Because in the place of prayer he had received instructions for his next ministry assignment based om His purpose and so he had to move on. Remember Jesus said he only did what he saw the father do. How was that possible? Through prayer and this is one great example.
The ministry of Jesus was not driven by the people and their needs but rather by his purpose and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
May we like Jesus find instruction on what our assignment in through the relationship we have with the Father in the closet of prayer. May we be wise to separate ourselves from the crowd so that we may hear His voice and not the shout from the masses.
