Effective Prayer

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” [Mark 1.35-38]

I feel like a kid in a candy story today. The accounts of the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry are amazingly full of truth for us all.

And, that is exactly what I believe is revealed in Mark 1.35-38.

Before daybreak, Jesus prayed. He prayed in an isolated place - on purpose - with purpose - without need to be seen or heard by anyone else.

The lesson for us is that, even in the exciting beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth, He dedicated valuable time to prayer. Even though time was precious on this earth for His ministry here, Jesus understood the necessity of prayer.

What's more, the direction Jesus received in prayer is telling. It was very clear by His response to Peter and the guys that He was tuned to the Father. Jesus benefited from prayer in learning what His direction was to be. (How many of us pray for direction???) Jesus apparently learned in prayer that He was to go to other towns and preach to them. He understood that this was His purpose - the reason He left heaven and came to earth.

For me, it seems Jesus could have "been led" to do a lot of things. The fact however that He felt led to minister to more and other people confirms that He was hearing from God and was on mission for God and His Kingdom.

So it is with us.

We can get a lot of "direction" from God in prayer, but sometimes it might be a little confusing to rest assured that what we "heard" is really what God wants.

Here is the first test: are we spending the right time with God in prayer? Are we giving God (and God alone) the first and best part of our day? Or better still, are we "seeing the day in" in prayer?

Next, does the direction we feel led to follow reveal the heart of God or our own selfish desires? Does the "direction" we feel led in prayer to follow remain consistent with the heart and ministry of God? Or, is it about what kind of car we should buy?

Be sure of this, if in dedicated quality prayer, God reveals direction to benefit others, we can find great assurance that that is the direction of God for our lives. I will venture to say that if it comes down to still not knowing what God is saying versus what He is not saying, we should pass it through the "litmus test" of "benefit." In other words, who stands to benefit from the direction we feel led to follow - us or others?

While it is certain God cares about us, I am convinced that when we think we hear God "speak" about doing something on behalf of others, we stand a much better chance of being in the center of God's will by ministering to others instead of tending to ourselves.

Father, help me to take to heart the example of Jesus praying alone and early and acting upon the direction He received then and there on behalf of others.