Mark 1:35

Ladies, are you ready to be encouraged and challenged by God’s Word? Beginning September 17, we’ll study the book of James together in the 8-week Joy of Living series. Each week, women will meet in small groups to share insights from Scripture and then hear practical and faith-building teaching from Debbie Taylor Williams. Childcare is available Wednesday mornings (by reservation) and Thursday evenings (by voucher). Learn more and register today by clicking HERE.

“I’m so busy.” “There never seem to be enough hours in the day.” 

Can you relate? Do you know who else can? Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus traveled to different regions sharing the good news, ministering to crowds, shepherding His disciples, and healing the sick. However, regardless of how full His day, He was intentional about His prayer time with God. “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35). 

Not only did Jesus spend time with God in prayer, but did you notice it said He went to a secluded place? In other words, in addition to praying with people, Jesus also prioritized time alone with God. Jesus teaches His followers to spend time alone in prayer. “…when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6a). 

Prioritizing prayer like Jesus did—in the early morning, alone with God, to tell Him your needs and to listen to Him are important.

Jesus knew that prayer was necessary. It is the way we stay connected to our Heavenly Father, abide in Him, and do His will. It is the key to bearing His fruit through our lives (John 15:1-8). 

How faithfully do you prioritize praying first thing in the morning? How faithfully do you meet alone with your Heavenly Father?

Jesus, thank you for showing me what it means to be PRAYERFUL. Help me prioritize spending time alone with You and the Father in prayer. 

Learn to seek God in prayer through Debbie’s book, Pray With Purpose, Live With Passion. Purchase your copy HERE.

Listen

Wildfires. Flooding. Volcanoes. Tornadoes. Earthquakes.  Have you been affected by a natural disaster that killed a loved one, destroyed your livelihood, injured a loved one or caused you physical harm? Have you lost everything and in devastation raised your fist and asked God why? There are many questions we won’t have answered until heaven. But we can know this for sure. Jesus explained to the disciples that our current world is under the rule of Satan. He wanted us to know that and that He is praying for us. What is Jesus praying? Among the myriad of things, we know that He prays as in Luke 22:32, that our faith not fail. John 17:15, 24 record Jesus’s prayer that we be kept from the evil one and we see His glory. When we watch loving Christians respond to those suffering natural disasters, we’re seeing the face and hands of God.

Lord Jesus, thank You that You care for us and pray for us. Thank You for those who reach out to others in times of crisis. 

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She was excited. A fun evening lay ahead. Slipping into her jeans, she glanced in the mirror and decided tomorrow she’d get serious about dropping ten pounds.

Lip gloss on, she grabbed her ticket to the concert and texted her friend she was on her way. “Be there in 5.” Little did she know, she wouldn’t be dropping ten pounds; she’d be dropped to the ground by a ruthless killer in a few short hours