It’s been too long since I’ve posted a blog post. Life has been crazy here in Bolivia – so much going on. I felt compelled to share something I was studying out in my quiet time this morning. I’m reading a great book about Jesus called “No One Like Him” by Tom Jones.
I was reading this morning about Jesus’ total dependance on God in his prayer life.
Luke 5:15-16 15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 6:12-13 12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles
“Prayer was not just a ritual before meals or bedtime. Jesus saw it as something so essential that he was willing to give up an entire night of sleep to do it before making a major decision.” (pg 32-33)
G.S.S. Thomson wrote: Prayer was the atmosphere in which Jesus lived. It was the air he breathed.
Robert Coleman wrote: Prayer was more important to Jesus than eating or sleeping. He could get along for periods of time without either of those, but he could not get along without prayer.
Wow. That challenges me to the core. When I’m hungry… I get ‘hangry’… (hungry+angry). When I’m tired and lacking sleep, I am irritable and selfish. I make it a priority every single day to eat and to get enough sleep so I can function. But when it comes to my prayer life and relying… depending on God… I confess, I do not feel the same way. I throw it in here or there. I don’t treat it as a priority. I rely on my own strength. I rely on my own knowledge…. And as I study out Jesus’ life more and more… I see how short I fall from the example he set for me. But I long to be like him. I want to grow in the area of my prayer life.
“Jesus truly believed that ‘by myself I can do nothing.’ But because he came to do something of the greatest importance, he would live each day in dependence on his Father – his Abba – for whom nothing was impossible (Mark 10:27).
The overriding key to Jesus’ effectiveness as a great and powerful servant of God can be traced to one place. It was not found in his intelligence, his charisma, his talent or even his miraculous powers. It was found in his ABSOLUTE, UNWAVERING DEPENDENCE ON GOD. We mistakenly think that Jesus had some incredible advantage over us. But the truth is that he could not do it on his own anymore than we can do it on our own. And what he had going for him, every one of us can have going for us… how will this change us?” (pg 35)
I can find myself depending on many things: sleep, coffee, food, sunshine, my friends, quiet/’me’ time, oh and the list goes on. I can find that if I don’t ‘get’ these things, I feel off-balance. But what about my time with God? Do I depend on my prayer time with Him? Do I realize how it affects me when I am not depending on Him?
I pray that everyday, throughout the day I can remember that ‘by myself I can do no good thing’ but with God nothing is impossible. I will fight to go to Him, to draw near to Him in prayer. To rely on Him and not myself or my own strength. I will try to remember that my effectiveness is not found in my intelligence, in my accomplishments, in my talents, or my persuasiveness, in how I look or the clothes I wear… my effectiveness will be found in my absolute, unwavering dependence on God.
SC - Thanks for sharing V. I appreciate your honesty. I know of a family member who is going through depression. I’m inspired & grateful for the work God has blessed, through you & the brothers/ sisters in Bolivia.