“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” – Luke 6:12
When it was time to make the critical decision regarding which of His disciples should be sent out as apostles, Jesus spent the night in prayer and solitude. The sinless Son of God Who enjoyed perfect fellowship with God the Father spent the entire night in prayer!
How much more should we, His imperfect followers, devote to prayer? Yet we often struggle to sustain more than a few minutes of prayer before our mind or attention wanders. How much greater impact could we have for God’s Kingdom if we slowed down and were willing to spend entire nights in prayer? Most Western Christians like prayer, but we don’t really “get” it. We don’t understand how to be still and silent before the Lord. We don’t understand how to speak and listen, how to pray Scripture, praise, ask, and give thanks. We don’t have the patience, tenacity, or comprehension to devote hours and hours to prayer.
No doubt Jesus spent hours praying about which disciples to appoint as apostles, but He probably spent even more hours in prayer lifting each of them to God. Jesus understood the power of prayer and the power of interceding in prayer for others. We’re surrounded by darkness and everyone struggles at times. Prayer is our greatest tool and weapon in the spiritual battle we’re engaged in. It’s our all-access pass to the Almighty Creator of the Universe. Through prayer we can seek God’s will, receive His help, and enlist Him in supporting, strengthening, and protecting our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do you value prayer the way Jesus did? Do you devote hours, days, or nights to it? If not (and most of us don’t), what will you do to create protected, undistracted, focused time with God in prayer? What will you do to deepen your understanding and practice of prayer? What will you do to make prayer a priority as it was for Jesus?