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Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
“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.” Mark 1:35
It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer. Do we know to go to our place of prayer seeking His Face when we need Jesus? (Which is Always!)
Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. Scripture says in Matthew, the fourth chapter, that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil, and after fasting forty days and forty nights Jesus was hungry. When the devil tempted Jesus to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, Jesus prayed the Word. First, the devil tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus responded in Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, “It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The second time the tempter told Jesus to throw Himself down from the highest point of the temple, assuring Him that “the angels will lift You up in their hands.” Matthew 4:7 says: Jesus answered him, “It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” The third time, the devil told Jesus that he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world, “if Jesus would bow down and worship him”. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
When it was time to choose His disciples, Jesus prayed the entire night, Luke 6:12-13 says: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and He chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles;”
If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father’s mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?
Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could hear His Father’s voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of his life. (Do you have so many people seeking to influence the direction of your life, that you can’t hear the Lord’s voice?) Mark 1:35 says: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daybreak, He went out and departed to a solitary place”. (Our time in prayer with the Lord, as we rise, must be our first priority so that He can set our agenda). The crowds wanted to crown Him king. John 6:15 says: “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone”. Jesus knew that God’s agenda was His mission. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry. Prayer preceded the miracles. John 11:42-43 says: “And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe You sent Me. Now when He said these things, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth! ''
Prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments. Luke 9:28-31 says: “About eight days after Jesus said this He took Peter, John, and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” Prayer enabled Jesus to go to the Cross. Matthew 26:49 says: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but Your will.” Prayer kept Jesus on the Cross despite excruciating pain. Luke 23:46 says: And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father into Your hands I commit My spirit”. Having said this, He breathed His last.”
Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life. Philippians 2:5-8 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!”
Application: Through prayer, Self- examination of ourselves will reveal if we are in alignment with the Lord’s agenda for our lives. God expects obedience! Yielding to the Lord’s agenda for our lives may not always be comfortable or convenient, but remember, He is with us. He knows the plans that He has ordained for each of our lives. He wants us to Trust Him. Jesus trusted God all the way to the Cross – for us. Prayer discovers God’s agenda – God’s agenda keeps us in His will.
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