SCRIPTURE: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” (Ps. 63:1 KJV)
QUOTE: “To change your life, you need to change your priorities.” – Mark Twain
NOTE: He sought the Father: Jesus demonstrated intimacy with God by seeking him continually in prayer. Forty-five times the gospels tell us that Jesus went alone to pray. Every aspect of his life and ministry was saturated with prayer. Apostle Mark gives us a glimpse of Jesus early life in his ministry. His life was swirling with people, needs, and opportunities. Jesus ministered around the clock. Still, he would make time to commune with the Father, and still concentrate on his purposes. He might sleep less or work less, but he would find time to pray. Intimacy was a priority for Him.
ILLUSTRATION:
“On one beautiful night, a young Believer after an evening service went to his cozy bed for sleep. It was cold night and, in his quilt, he was having deep sleep. He had a very stunning dream; he dreamed that he was walking along the beautiful beach in the company of his loving God. While he was walking along the sea shore, the scenes of different incidents and situations from his life flashed one by one across the dark sky. He kept moving and watching the different stages of his life, the good times as well as bad ones. After the last scene of life flashed before him, he looked back and noticed the footprints in the sand. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonged to his own and the other one to his Lord. All of sudden he noticed that at many times along the path of his life; especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really disturbed him, so he asked the God about it. He asked, “God, you said once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed you the most, you were not there for me.” God laughed and after some silence whispered, “My precious child, I love you and never left you. When you were fine & healthy, I used to walk besides you. So, the extra pair of footprints was visible. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you during your tough times. Whenever you were in difficulties and problems, I was still protecting you.”
REFLECTION:
- Who are in your circle?
- Who is your influencer?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Numbers 22 – 24, Psalm 88