Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Mark 1:35

Scrolling through Facebook this morning I found this post; “If you look at all the Bible greats, you find that they found their strength on their knees in a solitary place. Why do I have such a hard time with this…”

The difficult part isn’t receiving the strength once we are on our knees, the hard part is finding the strength and humility to get on our knees in the first place.  Finding time to spend with God seems to be a common problem. We tend to rush through the day thinking we can handle our lives quite well on our own.  We count on God’s patience towards us.  Our boss will fire us if we are late too many times.  Our significant other will become upset with us if we don’t spend time with them.  The dishes need washed, kids need taken to school, weeds pulled, grass mown, snow shoveled, trash taken out, the list never ends and no one and nothing is as patient as God.  So we rush on in our own strength to accomplish the deeds of the day.

What would your laundry pile would look like if you didn’t do laundry for three weeks?  What would happen if you just washed a dish or two when you had a couple of minutes of spare time?  What if you took the kids to school only when you felt like it?  Imagine how your paycheck would shrink if you only went to work half the time.  Or what would have happened  when you were a student if you haphazardly turned in half-done homework and didn’t bother to study for the tests?   The same concept applies to our relationship with God if we don’t take the time to go to a solitary place and pray.  Prayer gives our spiritual life power.  It breathes new life into our souls, new desire for more time with God into our hearts, and the love God has for all His children will begin to flow through us to them.

Draw close to you Father in heaven.  Sit near Him.  Abide in Him and He will abide in you.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Stay close to hear His voice. Rest in Him, and gather strength from His presence to be able to stay on the path He has prepared for you.  We are his sheep and need to stay close to Him for protection.

Know you that the LORD he is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.  Psalm 100: 3, 4