April 18, 2021
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray… And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Luke 5:16-17
Here we are reminded that Jesus was fully human. He needed to spend time alone connecting with his Father in prayer. Once refreshed by the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Son of Man then went out from his quiet place into the fray of the battle. In this chapter, Luke tells us that he then healed the lame and diseased and pronounced forgiveness to the downtrodden—and even called a reviled sinner (Matthew the tax collector) to follow him. All the while, prayer fueled Christ’s kingdom work.
The takeaway? In the words of a pastor friend, “Nothing moves without prayer.”
Father God, we often struggle to be still before you and pray. Yet, you are so patient with us. You are quick to listen and hear the cries of our hearts. So please draw us into your presence and quiet our souls, that we may be refreshed in you and empowered to do the good work that you have prepared in advance for us to do. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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