Matthew 14:23 (NKJV)
“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”
I can’t tell you how many times over the past few weeks I have benefited from stopping everything and making time to be with The Lord, in His word, focused only on Him. The change in trajectory from where I was prior to stopping and after I stopped has been huge. It has caused me to wonder how often I miss it.
How often do I miss the Holy Spirit’s direction? How often do I fail to pray for someone in need because I don’t stop to pray at all? How often do I miss the penetrating power of the Spirit of God through The Word of God to produce change in my life because I just didn’t have time? How often do I just plain miss it?
It all starts with our beliefs and our priorities. Do we really think it makes a difference? Is it worth our time? Are we willing to set aside time when there are so many other things that need our attention? Will we purposefully give The Lord time in our day?
For me, I need to make time early, before I totally mess things up. Maybe you do better in the evening as you reflect and prepare for the next day. Whatever works for you – just do it. If Jesus needed time alone, you can bet we do too! I am convinced we cannot live our lives as He wants without first taking the time to be alone with Him. I encourage you to make time every day to be alone with Christ. Take the time.