luke 5: making prayer a priority

Today’s Reading: Luke 5

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

Once again, Luke provides a lot of information in a single chapter! He shares how Jesus calls his first disciples, begins his healing ministry, and sets the precedent for spending time with sinners.

When reading this chapter, I get the impression that Jesus was very busy. He was healing, serving, and interacting with people as well as standing up to the Pharisees when needed. He was doing so much once his ministry started, but another thing I observed is that he still found time to go off alone, be still, and pray. The Savior of the World, the Creator, the Perfect Healer needed time alone and he made it a priority.

There are some weeks that seem busier than others, but let’s be real; we’re always busy! It’s really easy to put everything else as a priority: work, family, running errands, etc. But, are we willing to make time to be alone a priority? Are we willing to make prayer a priority?

It’s easier to learn about and talk about prayer rather than actually doing it. We can buy a stack of devotionals, journals, and subscribe to a hundred podcasts with good intentions, but that’s still a form of being busy. It’s more difficult to be still and sit in lonely solitude.

Spend time in prayer right now. Don’t hesitate! Even if you only have a couple minutes. Ask God to help you prioritize the lonely times and the times of just being with Him. Setting this time aside may not be easy, but keep persevering!