Why is daily prayer and reflection time important to a human being, to me?
I guess if God needed it, then I surely do. Jesus said, “follow Me!” That’s what I’m trying to do with His help. So I study the Word and spend time listening and journaling, walking and being alert to His signs and wonders all about me.
In the bible Hebrews 5:7 declares that during the days of Jesus life on the earth he cried out to His Father in heaven with loud tears and cries continually for help to make it through—endure. This blew my mind the first time I read it. Jesus was God come down in the flesh, Immanuel, who knew all things and created all things before the foundations of the world were laid. Yet here it declares that He needed His Father’s help, cried out daily, continually for help. Holy Spirit was in Him and helping Him and He still prayed, talked to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John who chronicled the life of Jesus from living with Him, they stated over and over that He would go off for time alone with His Father, to sit, reflect, and listen. When Jesus was up on the mountain with Peter and John, talking to Elijah and Moses, Peter got excited and enamored with seeing these patriarchs. However, God the Father, spoke loudly from heaven declaring to him “THIS is My Beloved Son—Hear Him!” That tells me that no one’s voice is more important than Jesus’. Most people are so busy they never give Him the time of day, let alone sit quietly listening and enjoying “being still in His presence and letting Him be God and Father to them!” For me it’s the most important thing in life.
I’m a wife, a daughter, a mother, and a “Nana!” I also have a full-time job; which is demanding. I’m a very task oriented person who has trouble sitting still for very long without noticing something else that needs to be done no matter where I’m at. So it has been amazing to grow in my friendship with Jesus to the point that I look forward to time set aside to be with Him. In fact this past weekend, after chores were done I spent time on our sun porch enjoying the wind in the trees, reading His words and letting Him expound on them while I journaling His fresh input. I take my Bible and journal everywhere I go in case I have time to listen.
He calmed the storms in my soul. He promised to feed His sheep and many don’t know how to think in spiritual terms, not natural. We are spirit beings. If you don’t think so, watch someone take their last breath, as I did recently with my Daddy who went home to Jesus in March. There’s no doubt the person is gone and the body is still there—an empty shell. Where’d they go? Their spirit went home to the Lord if they were a believer in Jesus Christ. If not to torment, darkness, and separation as Jesus explained in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Jesus said “My Kingdom is not of this world—it’s spirit to Spirit—right now until He returns. So He calls to my soul and spirit to come and let Him prepare a table, dinner, feast with Him daily. He knows everything coming in my day ahead and can prepare spiritual nourishment for the day ahead and to share with those that will be in my path.
He received what He needed from His Father in heaven through prayer and reflection time alone and so I know that I need it too. It is absolutely the most important thing in my life beyond all those that I love so dearly, and that is saying a lot more than you can even know.
I challenge you to sit quietly and ask Him to speak to you. He will. He is the only God that exists. He is alive, real, made you and everything else. He will reveal Himself to you His precious child. He loves us more than our human hearts can contain. Seek Him and you will find Him. Just stop the rat race long enough to listen! Enjoy!
