Your Most Precious Gift...Your Relationship with God!

Mark 1:35-37 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Wednesday - February 10 - Read Mark 1:35-37

Does prayer “work?” Does prayer change God’s mind? I think these questions miss the point. The disciples came “hunting” for Jesus because more people wanted healing back in town. But Jesus desired time alone in prayer with his Father. We can and should bring our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to God, however, that is not the primary purpose of prayer. Reading God’s word, the Bible, and praying is how we grow in intimacy with God. If, as Jesus tells us in the “Lord’s Prayer,” God is our Father then we have been given an intimate and loving relationship with Him. Does a loving parent want to know about our pains and sufferings? Yes! Will God sometimes intervene when we ask? Yes! However, as Jesus models for us, the greatest and most precious gift is an intimate relationship with God.