This is the way

 

He departed to a mountain to pray. Mark 6:46
Jesus took prayer seriously. It was not an afterthought but more a before thought. It was not the last option; it was the first option. There are many instances in the gospels where we see Jesus in prayer. In John 17, we see him pray that tremendous high priestly prayer just before he was betrayed, forsaken and crucified. He also taught us what we call the Lord’s prayer, which gives us a pattern to follow daily.

When I see Jesus in prayer or teaching on prayer, it spurs me. It encourages me but also, at the same time, it makes me look at my own prayer life. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up, and sometimes after five mins in prayer, my mind wanders, or I find it hard to shut out the distractions around me to concentrate on him in prayer. Especially when in Luke 6, I read these words “At about that same time, he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God.”

I read that, and I think, Lord, teach me to pray!

As a follower of Jesus, prayer should matter; it should be everything. I so want to learn to pray like Jesus. I wish for us, as believers, to learn to pray like Jesus. I believe every child of God, every follower of Jesus, should be someone who is learning to pray. We never stop learning to pray. The best way to learn is to do it.

I remember listening to men and women pray and thinking I could learn from them. I was going to every prayer meeting possible and learning from older believers. It’s something I say to our young people in the church; I would love some Wednesday night to come to our prayer meeting, for it is hijacked by the lot of them in prayer. Sometimes I fear losing something today when we dilute our prayer meetings. We lose the presence of God; we lose the anointing of His Spirit. We lose out full-stop.

When I read about Jesus teaching on prayer, it prompts me to do it. Whether it is at home or at church, or out on a prayer walk with the worship music blasting in your ears. God hears it. God answers.

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus teaches us to pray alone and in simplicity. “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (The message)

I love that “you will begin to sense his grace”. We need his grace and the one place to experience it, in his presence in prayer. Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated; anyone can do it. You don’t have to have a degree in worship; in quietness and confidence, you can pray.

In Luke 11 verses 9-10, Jesus teaches us to ask for what we need “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask, and you’ll get; Seek, and you’ll find; Knock, and the door will open. Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.” (The message)

Ask and keep on asking
Seek and keep on seeking
Knock and keep on knocking

Be direct about your prayers, be specific.

In Luke 18 verse 1, he tells us to be persistent in prayer. “Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit.” (The message)

Never Quit. Another version puts it to never lose heart.

It’s so easy sometimes to give up on something, especially when we feel or perceive it won’t make any difference. I believe it is for this reason Jesus addresses this issue and says, “Dont give up.”

I love how Paul puts it in Colossions 4:2 “Be devoted to prayer” The word “devote” means to grab hold of something and not let go. To “devote” yourself to prayer means to hang on no matter what happens. You never give up on worship, even when it seems useless.
Pray when you feel like it; pray when you don’t. Pray when you believe in it; pray when you doubt it. Pray when your heart is filled with faith; pray when you do it by habit. Do you ever feel like giving up? Please “Keep at it!”

Next, Jesus shows us there is power in prayer. Mark 11 versus 22-26 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for everything, from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.” (The message)

Our prayers can go further than we can; they go before the throne of grace, and we can touch heaven with our prayers, and heaven can touch us and the need around us. I have heard it said many times, prayer changes things, and it does.

I finish this with the chapter where I started  Mark 6:46 “And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.”

Sometimes you have to make time for prayer. People often say I am too busy or have no time to pray. Sometimes you have to say no to some things to talk to the Lord. Jesus sent them away. He got rid of the distractions. Turn the phone off, get off Facebook, twitter, TV or whatever keeps you back from prayer and depart, not up a mountain, but somewhere you can meet with God in prayer.

I promise you it will be the best thing you do every day.