October 23
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside
by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23
Community fellowship beckons us to worship God in prayer, to participate in the services and Sacraments. Throughout The Bible examples of honoring God in the company of others are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testament. In fact we are told that God desires us to acknowledge Him publicly. But there are also instances of private prayer with God, illustrations depicting the need to go off by oneself to a quiet place to be with Him. Jesus demonstrated this several times throughout Scripture. When anguished by the events He faced, to the point of sweating blood, in Gethsemane He turned to His Father in prayer - alone. In these busy and distracted lives we lead, how necessary is this time with God! For some the ability to go alone to a mountainside and praise God surrounded by the beauty of nature may be right in the back yard. But for most of us, the need for quiet time with God requires some creativity to find a place without the distraction of any worldly thing. Surely it is a challenge, but not impossible.
Worshiping God in prayer is as necessary and easy as breathing, and like breathing, we usually are not even aware we are doing so! When God is the center of our lives, all we think and do are a form of prayer. In order to remain centered throughout the demands of life though, at some point in a day extra steps need to be taken to stay on our path to Him; to be consciously aware of Him. Is it worth getting up a little earlier in the morning, before the household begins the activity of another day to thank Him for the gift of that new day? Is it worth going to bed a little later, to allow the day’s events to flow over us while expressing our gratitude for the people He has placed in out lives, for the opportunity to do His work, or reflect on what we need to change to improve our spiritual life? Is it worth leaving for work a little earlier so we can sit in the car an extra minute or two, in order to think about the good things God has brought our way, or seek His help with a problem? Is it worth taking the time to care for the body He has given us, perhaps by going for a walk, and while breathing the fresh air, praise Him for the gift of life? And isn't it true that during the night, when the symphonic music of life has settled its song a bit to a gentle hum, or on the other hand our thoughts have become turbulent, building like a crescendo, it is so easy to talk with God! Some of our best prayers and pleadings are with Him then, sent deeply from the heart.
We can find countless small ways to choose to be with God; He waits longingly to be with us. For when the evening of our days comes upon us, the time we took to be with Him will have been well worth it, and we will hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
We come to you in prayer Lord, in every place we are.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside
by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23
Community fellowship beckons us to worship God in prayer, to participate in the services and Sacraments. Throughout The Bible examples of honoring God in the company of others are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testament. In fact we are told that God desires us to acknowledge Him publicly. But there are also instances of private prayer with God, illustrations depicting the need to go off by oneself to a quiet place to be with Him. Jesus demonstrated this several times throughout Scripture. When anguished by the events He faced, to the point of sweating blood, in Gethsemane He turned to His Father in prayer - alone. In these busy and distracted lives we lead, how necessary is this time with God! For some the ability to go alone to a mountainside and praise God surrounded by the beauty of nature may be right in the back yard. But for most of us, the need for quiet time with God requires some creativity to find a place without the distraction of any worldly thing. Surely it is a challenge, but not impossible.
Worshiping God in prayer is as necessary and easy as breathing, and like breathing, we usually are not even aware we are doing so! When God is the center of our lives, all we think and do are a form of prayer. In order to remain centered throughout the demands of life though, at some point in a day extra steps need to be taken to stay on our path to Him; to be consciously aware of Him. Is it worth getting up a little earlier in the morning, before the household begins the activity of another day to thank Him for the gift of that new day? Is it worth going to bed a little later, to allow the day’s events to flow over us while expressing our gratitude for the people He has placed in out lives, for the opportunity to do His work, or reflect on what we need to change to improve our spiritual life? Is it worth leaving for work a little earlier so we can sit in the car an extra minute or two, in order to think about the good things God has brought our way, or seek His help with a problem? Is it worth taking the time to care for the body He has given us, perhaps by going for a walk, and while breathing the fresh air, praise Him for the gift of life? And isn't it true that during the night, when the symphonic music of life has settled its song a bit to a gentle hum, or on the other hand our thoughts have become turbulent, building like a crescendo, it is so easy to talk with God! Some of our best prayers and pleadings are with Him then, sent deeply from the heart.
We can find countless small ways to choose to be with God; He waits longingly to be with us. For when the evening of our days comes upon us, the time we took to be with Him will have been well worth it, and we will hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
We come to you in prayer Lord, in every place we are.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson