But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
Luke 5:15-16 BSB
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived on the earth in the form of a man, anointed by the Holy Spirit. In that role, He found it necessary, or at least desirable, to spend many hours in prayer. In these verses, He seems to be praying in response to a huge demand for His services as teacher and healer. Faced with human need, Jesus put intimacy with the Father before the acclaim and demands of the crowds.
I know from personal experience, years of it, how easy it is to get focused on needs, and start trying to meet them. That is an admirable desire. Unfortunately, the world around us is a bottomless pit of need. Our focus has to shift from the need to the need meet-er. In the work of God, our priority is knowing and pleasing the Father. If we’re led by need, we’re subject to being led by the source of all lack. We want to be led by the fount of all provision. Start at the throne, then go into the world. Then we’ll have power and wisdom to share, not just opinions and sympathy.
I like the last sentence in the verses above: “Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.” If Jesus needed to withdraw and pray frequently, how much more do we? Let’s get ready for Sunday by withdrawing and praying.
pastorvirgil.com 