And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35
The ultimate discipline. What is the one of the most difficult things to do if you are a follower of Jesus Christ? To be able to get to prayer and give yourself completely to prayer. At the moment we even contemplate prayer we meet a host of unsuspected and unforeseen difficulties which suddenly rise up as ambush forces breaking out in attack against us. Anything and everything to prevent prayer. Obviously I’m not saying this because you don’t know but that you recognize it clearly, definitely, and deliberately, and face the fact that is not just the ordinary circumstances, but a designed, well-laid plan of the enemy of your soul to prevent prayer. The enemy, instead of objecting, will promote an occupation with a thousand other things than time with the Lord and thereby crowd out prayer. If our real outward ministry / work doesn’t have a foundation set within our prayer life, that is triumphant and victorious, then the ‘work / ministry’ we do, whatever it may be, it will count for nothing in the long run and will break down. You can work as hard as you can on the outward ministry but if you leave out serious prayer you will not accomplish much.
One of the subtleties of the enemy is to get you so busy and occupied, and in a rush, for the things we think are for His work that our prayer is cramped up in a corner and limited, if not completely left undone; and the Lord will never except the excuse: “Lord, I am too busy in Your work to pray.” The Lord never favors an attitude like that.
Almost immediately when you set out to formulate a plan and purpose to a fuller prayer life and time the enemy launches a new scheme for keeping you more busy and occupied. The enemy will heap up the work and crowding demands so that you will think you don’t have anytime or opportunity to pray. Our victory is found in the ‘secret place’ with Him LONG before we ever actually do the outward ministry we think He has called us to. We must learn this principle if we want our work for Him to have an impact in the hearts of others. Jesus knew He must have the time with the Father before He faced the crowds and the disciples, for that prayer time was His Source of intimacy which allowed Him to do what the Father wanted Him to do.
We have the responsibility to set ourselves before Him in prayer (secret place) daily. We must understand that intimate prayer / conversation with Him is vital for Him to produce a harvest in and through our lives. We must guard and protect that ‘time’ with Him each day, knowing that it is the most vital part of our relationship with Him. When it comes to spiritual disciplines, prayer is the first on the list we must get as one of our daily habits. Not just ‘one-way’ prayer thrown vertically at God, but sustained intimate conversational prayer with Him. An intimate time of worshipful prayer, repentance, and questions asking for His guidance and teaching. Learning to hear Him is so important at this stage of prayer, as He will provide so much to you during that prayer time.
Deep sustained prayer with Him is a conscious decision that once thought about must be fought for and chosen as your highest priority.
What is your choice?