“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35
Consider this verse carefully…Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He’s literally been in fellowship with God the Father forever. Yet, after a long night of healing people and casting out demons, Jesus prioritizes getting up in the pre-dawn darkness to talk and fellowship with God the Father.
If Jesus prioritized prayer, we absolutely must prioritize prayer, because we aren’t Jesus! Our ability and freedom to pray – to talk with, listen to, and fellowship with the Creator of the Universe is an extraordinary privilege. It’s a blessing, a source of inner peace and strength, and a way God transforms our hearts. We must never take prayer for granted!
We must grow hungry for our quiet time with our Father in Heaven. We must yearn for the fellowship we enjoy with Him. That fellowship is worth whatever sacrifice of sleep, phone time, or “me time” is necessary. If you don’t know what to pray – how to fill your time alone with God, look to the Psalms. They provide Spirit-inspired examples of honest, heart-filled prayers. Pray their words or pray whatever thoughts their words bring to mind. But pray.
Or, consider using the simple and memorable pattern of A-C-T-S:
Adoration – what do you love about God?
Confession – what do you need God to forgive you for?
Thanksgiving – what are you grateful to God for?
Supplication – what would you like God to do?
Always leave some time at the end to be silent – to still your soul before the Lord and simply listen for His still small voice.